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Headlines 7 “So even if the electrical pulses do not have the desired effect, we can use the implant technology as a way to deliver all sorts of treatment approaches directly to the spinal cord.” Other fascinating projects at the School of Pharmacy weave into Dr Harland’s work, making the outputs altogether greater. His mentor, Associate Professor Darren Svirskis, is funded by the CatWalk Trust to work on sustaining electrical fields on implantable devices. Dr Brad Raos holds a Neurological Foundation grant to develop cell-based models of axonal strain seen in SCI and investigate the effects of electric fields on axonal regeneration (all neurons have axons, long fibres that carry electrical impulses). Dr Harland’s team also receives input and advice from spinal surgeons, spinal rehabilitation units, and the world- renowned implantable device group at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute. “The general opinion is that if the effects of the treatment are worth it, a clinical implant like this can be made to work,” Dr Harland says. “And while it's a great idea to put an implant into a spine, we must understand, will it cause further damage to the spinal cord? Will the patient experience repercussions? We’ve put a lot of time into looking at that in the animal model.” While the ultimate goal is to get people walking again, Dr Harland says it could result in small gains in recovery that would be huge for SCI patients, such as improvements in bladder function, sexual function, and pain. “And the exciting thing about this is it's being done in New Zealand. It's right at the cutting-edge of science. Our small team has achieved as much as multi-million-dollar international research consortiums.” About Dr Bruce Harland Dr Bruce Harland completed his PhD at the University of Canterbury, where he studied the role of the thalamus in memory and explored treatments for amnesia. He grew up in a home that celebrated science – his father is a retired Professor of physics and chemistry, and his mother has a PhD in botany. Dr Harland trained in recording neuronal activity in freely moving animals at Professor Richard Morris’s prestigious Centre for Cognitive Neural Systems at The University of Edinburgh. He then refined this work at the University of Arizona before returning to New Zealand to develop bioelectronic implants to treat SCI at the University of Auckland. His research is only possible thanks to the grants he has received from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, as well as The CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust. About CatWalk The CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust is a charity that raises funds to advance research towards a cure for spinal cord injury. The Neurological Foundation works closely with the CatWalk Trust to support this aim. All applications to the CatWalk Trust for research funding are evaluated by the Neurological Foundation’s committees against scientific merit and relevance to the aims of the Trust. The Neurological Foundation then makes a recommendation to The CatWalk Trust on whether the application should, in their view, be considered for funding. The final decision on funding is made by The CatWalk Board of Trustees. https://www.catwalk.org.nz/ Dr Bruce Harland is developing a tiny electrical implant to treat spinal cord injuries.