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U2FP's Blog > Keeping you current on the movement to cure paralysis
Our Voice blog
July 20, 2023

Opportunities Abound - U2FP's Annual Symposium

byMatthew Rodreick
White man standing next to a podium

Above: Florian Solzbacher (MS, PhD), Co-founder and Chairman of Blackrock Neurotech presenting last year at U2FP’s Symposium in Salt Lake City. Click here to watch his presentation: “It Won’t Work”: The Perception Challenge Facing Commercial BCIs

Right now is a great time to maximize your savings for U2FP’s 18th Annual Science & Advocacy Symposium, happening on October 20 - 21, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind gathering that centers the voice and perspective of the SCI Community.

Consider these great discounts that you can take advantage of right now:

  • Early Bird pricing means you’ll save 30% when you register now
  • Individuals with an SCI and/or their family members save an additional 50% 
  • Students receive a 50% discount
  • Personal Care Assistants receive a free registration (limit 1)

You can find all the details on how to redeem these special savings on our registration page.

Travel Grants
Worried about travel expenses? Consider applying for a Travel Grant, which we offer to individuals with paralysis in need of financial assistance. This can cover the cost of eligible travel expenses, such as airfare, hotel or mileage fees. Special thanks to the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation & Global Technology Services for helping to underwrite this program.
 

Speakers
Check out our newly confirmed speakers and panelists who will join our excellent roster of presenters from the regulatory, research, rehab and industry spheres of the SCI world. 

Take a look:

  • Ricardo Battaglino is a Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Together with Leslie Morse, he established and co-directs the Rehabilitation Medicine Translational Research Laboratory.
     
  • Russell Huie is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Brain and Spinal Injury Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Huie is currently studying the role of inflammatory cytokines in the injured spinal cord environment.
     
  • Igor Lavrov is Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology & Biomedical Engineering at the Mayo Clinic. He is focused on neuromodulation of CNS, reorganization and repair of neuronal circuits after spinal cord injury and on implementing of the key principles of neuronal repair
     
  • Leslie Morse is the department head at the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (this year’s title sponsor!). Dr. Morse's research interests include the impact of mechanical unloading on bone metabolism and the development of novel stem cell therapies for motor recovery after SCI. She has partnered with U2FP’s Activity Based Therapy group to complete and publish a survey on ABT centers in North America. And is working with the team to execute a public health impact study.
     
  • Jessica Nielson is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and the Institute for Health Informatics at the University of Minnesota. One of her research areas of focus in her lab is dedicated to psychedelic neuroscience research. She is a recent guest of U2FP’s CureCast podcast where she discussed the potential psychedelics may hold for individuals with SCI.
     
  • Ann Parr is Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Dr. Parr is interested in finding new therapies for spinal cord injury. As such, she is Principal Investigator in the Parr Laboratory and at the U of M's Stem Cell Institute. She is part of the collaborative team for the Stim/Peptide study that U2FP helped facilitate.

You can also explore our Agenda here.

Venue & Lodging
We only have a few rooms left in our group block at the Minneapolis Hilton. Don’t wait - reserve your room now!

Sponsors
We continue to add new sponsors to this year's premiere gathering of the SCI community. This year’s Symposium wouldn't be happening without the tremendous support of our title sponsor, The University of Minnesota Department of Rehabilitation Medicine! 

Special thanks to this year's Networking Sponsor, Aneuvo. Consider joining our growing list of sponsors:

SPONSOR THE SYMPOSIUM

We're looking forward to another great, collaborative gathering of the SCI and Scientific communities.

Join us!