Sexual Stimulation (Episode 107)
Guest: Elizabeth Bottorff
Today's guest is Dr. Elizabeth Bottorff, a postdoctoral researcher in the biomedical engineering department at the University of Minnesota who is studying sexuality after spinal cord injury. Elizabeth is conducting an add-on study to the ongoing EStand trial there. From the beginning of epidural stimulator research for spinal cord injury, there have been many reports of the recovery of sexual function. Her goal is to shift this anecdotal evidence into hard empirical data.
Dr. Bottorff discussed the study design and aims, the subcomponents of so-called sexual function, the barriers to grant funding for sexual function research in general, and arousal in particular. Elizabeth is joining us at U2FP’s Symposium on September 27th and 28th in Atlanta, Georgia (register here), where she'll present her work in even greater depth. So if this conversation intrigues you, then consider joining us this year and come talk to her yourself.
As always, please share your thoughts with us via email at curecast@u2fp.org. Thanks for listening!
Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud
Bumper music: Dig a Hole by Freaque
Guest Bio
Dr. Elizabeth Bottorff serves as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh where she studied the effect of microstimulation of the dorsal root ganglia on feline hindlimb kinematics. Afterward, she attended the University of Michigan earning her PhD in Biomedical Engineering. Her doctoral thesis focused on peripheral neuromodulation, specifically addressing female sexual dysfunction after spinal cord injury. Dr. Bottorff utilized animal and clinical models to analyze the genital hemodynamic response to tibial and genital nerve stimulation before and after neurological damage. Currently based in Minneapolis, her research now extends to investigating the effects of epidural spinal cord stimulation on sexual arousal and pelvic organ function in individuals with spinal cord injuries, employing similar techniques.
Connect with Elizabeth Bottorff here:
- Website: Restorative Neurotrauma Lab, Neural Netoff Laboratory
- Email: bottorff@umn.edu
- LinkedIn: @ElizabethBottorffPhD
- X(Twitter): @el_bo_lab
Related Symposium Presentations
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Click the title talk or image to read Dr. Bottorff's abstract for her upcoming presentation at our Symposium this fall.
Related CureCast Episodes
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A conversation about sex and SCI with four injured individuals: Quinn Brett, Kelsey Peterson, Thomas Cloyd and Jason Stoffer.
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Part two of our frank conversation about sex and SCI with our guests from Episode 52.
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Our conversation with David Darrow, who is a principal investigator on the EStand Trial, and in whose lab Elizabeth Bottorff currently works.
