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CureCast

The podcast feeding the movement to cure paralysis
Episode 127

PEAK 2 PEAK (Episode 127)

Guests: Dimitry Sayenko & Adam Thrasher

Today we are talking to Drs. Dimitry Sayenko and Adam Thrasher about their SCI humanitarian project in Tanzania called “Peak 2 Peak.” Dimitry is an MD, PhD and an associate professor in Neuromodulation and Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, in Houston, Texas. We interviewed him previously about his work in episode 93, which I encourage you to check out. Adam is a PhD Researcher, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance at the University of Houston, in Houston, TX.


Dimitry and Adam are long time friends and colleagues, and they saw Adam’s sabbatical at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology in Tanzania as an opportunity to both climb Mount Kilimanjaro together AND support the local SCI community in a humanitarian effort to provide durable medical equipment (DME) and training for advanced transcutaneous stimulation. The project is slated for the beginning of September. So make sure to check out the Peak 2 Peak webpage and support them however you can!
 

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Soundcloud

Bumper music: Dig a Hole by Freaque

Guest Bios

Dr. Dimitry Sayenko graduated in 1996 from the Russian State Medical University with an MD degree. From 1996 to 2006, he was a researcher at the Institute for Biomedical Problems – the leading Russian research institute specializing in biomedical aspects of manned spaceflights. In 2005, he received a PhD in Aerospace Medicine, with a thesis on the effect of microgravity on postural control in cosmonauts and astronauts. Dr. Sayenko completed his postdoctoral training at the National Rehabilitation Center in Japan (2006-2008), as well as at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute in Canada (2008-2012). From 2012 to 2014, Dr. Sayenko held a faculty appointment at the University of Louisville and the Frazier Rehab Institute, where he investigated the mechanisms of neuromodulation induced by epidural spinal stimulation. From 2014 to 2018, Dr. Sayenko worked at the UCLA, and utilized spinal stimulation in individuals with spinal cord injury to recover sensorimotor function in the upper and lower limbs. Dr. Sayenko’s current research at the Houston Methodist Research Institute focuses on the mechanisms and effects of spinal neuromodulation in the sensorimotor recovery after neurological disorders and injuries, including SCI and stroke.

Connect with Dimitry Sayenko here:

Adam Thrasher is a Fulbright Scholar who was born in Canada. He studied mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering at the University of Alberta where he discovered his passion for SCI research, and applying novel engineering approaches to solving neurological problems. He further pursued this passion at the University of Toronto as the first post-doctoral fellow of the Canadian Paraplegic Association. In 2006, Dr. Thrasher moved to Houston, TX, accepting a faculty appointment at the University of Houston. A founding member of the Center for Neuromotor and Biomechanical Research (CNBR), Dr. Thrasher expanded his research to include treating Parkinson’s Disease with innovative neuromodulation applications. He is a leading expert on the use of electrical stimulation technologies to treat severe neurological disorders. In 2023, Dr. Thrasher began working with researchers at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in northern Tanzania on projects aimed at studying brain signals in East Africa. He is currently on sabbatical, working closely with Dr. Sr. John-Mary Vianney and her team at the Centre for Research of Brain and Mind (CEREBRAM). They are analyzing data from over 5000 people across a wide diversity of Tanzania’s tribes, populations and geographies to better understand the environmental impacts on brain and mind. In his spare time, Dr. Thrasher enjoys learning to speak Swahili, hiking, canoeing, and exploring the natural beauty of East Africa.

Connect with Adam Thrasher here:

Peak 2 Peak

  • Learn more about the origins and background of this fundraising project and then consider making a donation to the efforts of Drs. Sayenko, Thrasher and their team of dedicated scientists as they prepare to climb Mount Kilimanjaro!

Related Resources

  • We talk with Dimitry Sayenko about his background and current work studying transcutaneous electrical stimulation and end with a lively exchange of when new discoveries should be implemented in the population.
     

  • "During his journey, Adam Thrasher will explore the use of neuromodulation— applying electrical currents to the nervous system — in the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury."
     

  • Check out Eric Kondo's great blog (which we mentioned in the episode several times) for diy modifications that can be made to your wheelchair!

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