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Walking is often seen as the ultimate goal in recovering from paraplegia or tetraplegia. But for many wheelchair users, other quality-of-life challenges take even higher priority. R egaining basic functions like bladder and bowel control can make a profound difference. That’s the focus of a new project led by Dr Salvador Lopez, a 31-year-old Research Fellow from the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research and School of Pharmacy, who is investigating using electrical fields to help restore these vital functions. His project will test a tiny implant that sends electrical signals directly to the spinal cord. It’s hoped this will help nerves to heal, improve bladder function, and prevent complications such as infections and kidney problems. Salvador received a $20,000 Neurological Foundation Small Project Grant toward this promising treatment in our latest funding round. The Foundation’s Small Project Grants are designed to support early-stage, high-impact ideas. “People often think about walking again, but bladder and bowel control can be even more life-changing,” Salvador says. Salvador is a specialist in spinal injury surgery and bladder function testing, and is a lead researcher in the Catwalk Cure Programme – a group of more than 20 engineers, neuroscientists, drug delivery scientists, ultrasound experts and cell therapy researchers supported by The CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust. His project builds on a technology being developed by the Catwalk Cure Programme team – an ultra-thin, flexible implantable device designed to sit along the spinal cord and deliver treatments without causing additional damage. The project is further strengthened by access to shared tools and infrastructure funded through a Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship held by Dr Bruce Harland and a US Department of Defense research grant. Life after spinal cord injury Raymond Dufton has always been a huge motorsport fan, and an annual highlight was taking part in the Targa Hawke’s Bay rally – a chance to drive safety-modified cars on closed public roads. But in May 2019, everything changed when the Toyota he was co-driving crashed and rolled during the rally’s final stage. The accident left him with a severe spinal cord injury at the C4–C5 level. He spent four months in the Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit, emerging as a tetraplegic. “It’s certainly slowed me down,” he says. “And I’ve had to sell most of my cars. I never thought I’d be the driver of an electric vehicle, but now I am,” he jokes, referring to his power chair with chin control and 4WD capability so he can keep exploring his love of the outdoors. “If I’d had this injury 20 years ago, I wouldn’t have had access to this kind of tech,” he says. “It’s amazing what’s possible now. And in a few more years, it’s only going to get better,” he adds, acknowledging the promising work being done with stem cells and advanced tech–human interface systems. He says any small improvement could make a huge difference, and praises Kiwi researchers’ ingenuity in the development of the novel implantable device. “It’s great to know there are people working on ways to help us,” he says. “Every little thing helps.” He’s especially grateful for the support of the CatWalk Trust. “The work CatWalk does backing research and supporting people like me is fantastic. It gives us hope.” Raymond Dufton says any small improvement can make a huge difference to quality of life. Headlines 9 “Many people with spinal cord injuries say losing this function affects their daily lives more than walking. Receiving this grant allows us to explore an approach that could make a meaningful difference to people’s lives.” Dr Salvador Lopez