Educate

Successful collaborations depend not only on shared resources, but knowledge. The Reeve Foundation is increasing transparency throughout the field by leveraging the Open Data Commons, a platform for academics, scientists, and industry peers designed to facilitate broad data knowledge – leading to more efficient use of scientific data and increasing the possibility of fresh insights. In doing so, we aim to identify pre-competitive opportunities to share development ideas and early data related to the fundamental challenges slowing everyone down. This requires a sea change in the field, where scientists and others prioritize progress over individual and organizational interests.   

Increasing transparency systematically – around lab gains and failures – helps remove long-entrenched barriers to discovery, eliminating time wasted duplicating unsuccessful hypotheses and allowing researchers to refine or redirect their focus as more data becomes publicly available. Most significantly, data sharing supports more expansive success throughout the field, accelerating drug discovery and device development as more pieces of the puzzle become visible to everyone. 

The Foundation is also continuing its long partnership with the North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN), a consortium of ten neurosurgery departments at university-affiliated medical centers. Historically, the Foundation has worked with NACTN to expand the existing infrastructure to allow more companies to conduct a greater number of trials. An array of studies on devices, drugs, and therapeutics must be constantly underway to address the complexity of spinal cord injury and provide the best chance for successful outcomes. Key research topics for increased clinical focus have included bioelectrical stimulation, neuroplasticity, cell replacement, axon repair and regeneration. In addition, we have supported efforts to expand the scope of studies beyond the acute phase in order to target treatments for people living with chronic injuries.  

Today, as NACTN prepares to publish its findings, it is working with the Reeve Foundation to develop the power of the data registries to identify new opportunities for discovery.