Take Your First Step Towards Your Next Step At NYC Clinical Trials For SCI

Dr. Knikou is inviting individuals with spinal cord injuries for non-invasive clinical trials.

Neurophysiologist and researcher Dr. Maria Knikou invites people with spinal cord injuries to apply for non-invasive clinical trials to assess, rehabilitate, and improve motor function and control, while reducing spacsticity. Early trials are promising, many returning for Robotic Gait Training. Stipends and travel reimbursements available.

When we think about spinal cord injuries, thoughts generally turn toward Christopher Reeve who was thrown from his horse during trial events for an equestrian competition in 1995, and Steven McDonald, who was shot three times in 1986 after serving two years as an officer with the New York Police Department. Reeve’s and McDonald’s heroic and visible survival stories brought the severity of spinal cord injuries into the international dialogue.

Today at the College of Staten Island (CSI), Maria Knikou, PhD, is holding clinical trials of her breakthrough research designed to develop effective rehabilitation strategies to improve the walking ability of persons with spinal cord injuries that have affected the function of the central nervous system.

During her ongoing trials, she has recently worked with eight people with spinal cord injuries, including a 20-year-old who fell out of a golf cart and broke his neck nine months ago, and a Midwestern woman who broke her neck. These people, who have been diagnosed with tetraplegia (a spinal cord injury above the first thoracic vertebra or within cervical sections Cervical 1-8) and severe paralysis of the legs, came to CSI to participate in the research trials. After completing four to six weeks of therapy with Dr. Knikou, the patients saw motor function improve, with increased control and reduced spasticity.

According to spinalcord.com, “The spinal cord carries nerve fibers traveling both from the brain to the rest of the body and from the body back to the brain. Those coming from the brain are responsible for voluntary control of muscles. Those traveling toward the brain carry sensation.”

Dr. Knikou working in her lab.

Dr. Knikou’s non-invasive therapy focuses on assessing the signal transfer from the brain to the legs in order to strengthen and enhance that pathway and provide gains in motor function. Patients who undergo the phase one therapy may be eligible for the phase two Robotic Gait Training, designed to further stimulate brain, spinal, and muscular health on a pathway for improved mobility. People who participate in the trials are provided a stipend, and certain expenses may be covered.

Persons who are interested in learning if they are eligible candidates for this unique therapeutic approach should contact Dr. Knikou, Professor of Human Neurophysiology in the Physical Therapy Department of the School of Health Sciences at 718.982.3316 or maria.knikou@csi.cuny.edu. All trials are conducted on the Willowbrook campus of the College of Staten Island in New York City.

“Dr Knikou’s forward-thinking and expertise in human neurophysiology have enabled her to be extremely successful, with ongoing grant support from New York State and other private foundations,” commented Dean Maureen Becker, PhD. “She is one of the leading researchers in the School of Health Sciences at the College of Staten Island and her work, one day, will impact the lives of millions of individuals with spinal cord injury.”

Dr. Knikou’s research project is funded by the New York State Department of Health, Spinal Cord Injury Research Board, under the Project to Accelerate Research Translation (PART) award. She mentors high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral research fellows and junior faculty. Dr. Knikou serves on several editorial boards and has published her research work in high-ranking, peer-reviewed scientific journals.

For details regarding Dr. Knikou’s research visit www.researchgate.net/profile/Maria_Knikou

For more information about the College of Staten Island School of Health Sciences visit www.csi.cuny.edu/schoolofhealthsciences

Learn about Tai Chi

Tai chi is a traditional Chinese art for physical and mental health that draws on principles of Chinese philosophy and Daoism. It is a great way to keep fit and relieve stress, and is a “soft” introduction to the martial arts. There will be a short talk by Qun Cheng on the history and principles of tai chi, follow by a demonstration and guided instruction.

This CC and PG CLUE event is sponsored by the East Asian Studies Program.

Exploring the Health Care Professional’s Role as an Interdisciplinary Team Member

November 20, 2017

Dean of the School of Health Sciences Dr. Marcus Tye addresses the audience.

A total of 158 students and faculty attended “Exploring the Health Care Professional’s Role as an Interdisciplinary Team Member” event, which took place on November 14 in the Center for the Arts Williamson Theatre at the College of Staten Island (CSI). This was a success coaching and nursing student event in collaboration with the Physical Therapy and Social Work departments.

Dr. Marcus Tye, Dean of the School of Health Sciences, welcomed participants and emphasized the strong need for interprofessional collaboration. The featured speakers included:

-Dr. Karen Arca-Contreras, the Success Coaching and Nursing Student Retention Program Coordinator and Lecturer in the Nursing Department. She has held various leadership positions in nursing including nurse consultant and nurse educator.

-Dr. Amanda Rotondo, Adjunct Lecturer in the Physical Therapy Department, who is the owner of Precious Movements Physical Therapy and specializes in treating orthopedics and pediatrics.

-Constance Stafford, an Adjunct Professor in the Social Work Department. She has experience working with the developmentally disabled. Currently, she is the manager of professional student services in the Department of Social Work.

The speakers discussed the key roles that nursing, physical therapy, and social work play as members of the interdisciplinary team. The objectives of the program were to clearly articulate the professional roles, to build respectful relationships among healthcare science students, to advocate for an interprofessional evidence-based approach when addressing patient problems, and to foster the development of interprofessional teams dedicated to improving patient outcomes.

Dr. Karen Arca-Contreras advocated for the “need for interprofessional education and effective collaboration so health science students will be better prepared to improve patient outcomes after graduation. We must prepare our students to work with other disciplines as well as patients and their families in order to deliver the highest quality of care across various health settings.”

Dr. Arlene Farren, Chairperson of the Department of Nursing, concluded the program by asking participants to commit to working together as members of the interdisciplinary team.

By Karen Arca Contreras

Zaghloul Ahmed featured in Science & Enterprise

College of Staten Island Professor Zaghloul Ahmed, PhD, and his patented spinal stimulation technology were featured in an article on Science & Enterprise online. The story, “Neuro Device Company to Begin Clinical Trials in Europe,” discusses the trials which will “test a non-invasive device that stimulates nerves and the spinal cord to treat neuromotor disorders,” according to the article.

Read the full piece on the Science & Enterprise Web site.