Lyn B. Jakeman, PhD
Former Associate Director, Division of Neuoscience, NINDS

Abstract
A Research Lens
The SCI research community has a long tradition of fostering collaboration, education, and rigorous scientific methods to understand how spinal cord injuries evolve, and to discover and test interventions that might support real and meaningful recovery. The biological problem of repairing the spinal cord is immensely difficult. This has always created tension between ensuring reported discoveries are robust while providing realistic hope. Christopher Reeve and other advocates would not tolerate allowing the challenge ahead to serve as an excuse for not pursuing bold and innovative approaches and ideas with urgency. This presentation will highlight some successes and challenges encountered when researchers, clinicians, industry teams, funding agencies, advocates, and persons living with SCI have sought to work together to accelerate discovery and translation of treatments for spinal cord injuries.

Bio
Lyn Jakeman did SCI research as a PhD student at the University of Florida, graduating in 1990. She was a postdoc at Genentech, Inc and worked at a small pharmaceutical company before joining the faculty at the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. At OSU, Dr. Jakeman led a research lab focused on understanding mechanisms and barriers to regeneration in the adult mammalian spinal cord. In 2013, she joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as a program director. In this role, she oversaw SCI grants and led programs and initiatives in SCI research, including a conference on the future of SCI research entitled “SCI 2020: Launching a decade of disruption in SCI research”. In 2018, she was tapped to lead the Division of Neuroscience at NINDS in support of discovery and disease-related basic research. Dr. Jakeman retired from the NIH in 2025.