SCI Model System Researchers Present at American Spinal Injury Association's Annual Meeting

A host of Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) researchers presented papers at the American Spinal Injury Association's annual meeting held April 2-5, 2019, in Honolulu, HI. This meeting uniquely integrates disciplines germane to SCI research, medicine, rehabilitation, and community-based care by offering a broad perspective of topics in workshop, instructional course, oral, and scientific poster formats. Below is a list of participants who have submitted conference presentation information to MSKTC. 

Jenn Coker, MPH, modular project lead at Rocky Mountain Regional Brain Injury System, presented, "Complementary and integrative healthcare utilized by people with spinal cord injury." 

Kimberly Monden, PhD, Mitch Sevigny, MS, Susan Charlifue, PhD, Jenn Coker, MPH, Leslie Morse, DO, Jeffrey Berliner, DO, and Ellen Severe, OTR, of  Rocky Mountain Regional Brain Injury System, and Heather B Taylor, PhD, project director at Texas Spinal Cord Injury Model System at TIRR Memorial Hermann, presented, "Associations between insurance provider and assistive technology use one year after tetraplegic spinal cord injury: Findings from the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database."

Matt Davis, MD, clinical medical director at Texas Spinal Cord Injury Model System at TIRR Memorial Hermann, along with Ann Bryden, OT, and Kim Anderson-Erisman, PhD, presented "Advocacy and spinal cord injury: Past, present and future."

Leslie Morse, DO, Susan Charlifue, PhD, and Jenn Coker, MPH, co-project directors and researcher at Rocky Mountain Regional Brain Injury System, Heather Taylor, PhD, project director at Texas Spinal Cord Injury Model System at TIRR Memorial Hermann, and David Chen, co-principal investigator at Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System, presented, "Utilization of complementary and integrative healthcare by people with spinal cord injury."

Allen Heinemann, PhD, Arun Jayaraman, PT, PhD, Chaithanya Mummidisetty, MS, Daniel Pinto, PT, PhD, and Jamal Spraggins, MS, of  Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System, Susan Charlifue, PhD, Candy Tefertiller, PT, DPT, NCS, Heather Taylor, PhD, and Shio-Hsin Chang, PT, PhD, of Texas Spinal Cord Injury Model System at TIRR Memorial Hermann, and  Catherine Furbish, PT, DPT, and  Edelle Field-Fote, PT, PhD, FAFPTA, of Southeastern Regional Spinal Cord Injury System, presented, "Experience of robotic exoskeleton use at four spinal cord injury model systems centers."

Matt Davis, MD, clinical medical director at Texas Spinal Cord Injury Model System at TIRR Memorial Hermann, along with Stephen McKenna, MD, and James Crew, MD, presented, "Instructional course on acute management and respiratory care after spinal cord injury."

Argyrios Stampas, MD, researcher at Texas Spinal Cord Injury Model System at TIRR Memorial Hermann, along with Emily Robbins, DO, and M. Singh presented, "A retrospective chart review to determine whether infections following traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) are associated with changes in motor scores during acute inpatient rehabilitation."

Susan Robinson-Whelen, PhD, researcher at Texas Spinal Cord Injury Model System at TIRR Memorial Hermann, Heather Taylor, PhD, Jose Vega BS, Rosemary Hughes, PhD,  Eva Widerstrom-Noga, DDS, PhD, Amie Urquieta, and Rachel Markely, MPH, presented "Loneliness among men and women with SCI: Preliminary evidence of risk factors."


Ralph Marino, MD, project director at Regional SCI Center of the Delaware Valley, Diana Cardenas, MD, co-project director of South Florida SCIMS, David Chen, co-principal investigator at Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System, and Steven Kirshblum, MD, co-director at Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System presented "Trends in rate of ASIA impairment scale conversion in traumatic spinal cord injury."


Yu-Ying Chen, MD,  Michael J. DeVivo, PhD, and Huacong Wen, MS, of National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, presented "Demographic and health profile of people living with spinal cord injury 2013-2017."

Huacong Wen, MS, Yu-Ying Chen, MD, and Tapan Mehat, PhD, of National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, presented "Body mass index and mortality after spinal cord injury."


Amie McLain, MD, along with Joseph Troncale, MD, Li Zhang, PhD, Y Chen, and Claire Kalpakijan, PhD, presented "Prospective study of pregnancy in women with and without spinal cord injury."

Kazuko Shem, MD, Cria-May M Khong, BS, and Ben Dirlikov, BS, researchers at the previously- funded SCI Model System Center, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, presented "Suicidal ideation identified using PHQ-9: Model systems follow-up study."