Our Researchers
At nsif, we fund a focused network of scientists who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in spinal cord injury repair. Their work spans neuroscience, regenerative medicine, rehabilitation and clinical translation, all united by one goal: to make spinal cord repair a reality.
Every breakthrough begins with people. The researchers we support are innovators, collaborators and problem solvers working at the forefront of global science. Their discoveries are shaping the future of treatment and bringing us closer to a cure.
How nsif funds research
We take a targeted, long term approach to funding.
We invest in the most promising pathways, and people, to spinal cord repair and stay with them.
Your support enables researchers to:
- Pursue bold, pioneering ideas
- Build on decades of foundational science
- Translate laboratory discoveries into clinical progress
- Collaborate across leading institutions
- Move potential treatments closer to patients
What your support has made possible
- nsif funded early research into olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), which are the foundation of today’s most promising regenerative therapies.
- nsif supported the development of the world first procedure to reconnect severed long spinal nerve fibres, leading to assisted walking and regained sensation in a patient with spinal cord injury.
- nsif continues to fund ongoing laboratory and clinical research at University College London, Imperial College London and other leading centres, accelerating the journey from scientific discovery to patient benefit.
These milestones demonstrate what sustained investment in research can achieve, and why continued support matters.
A global network of expertise
The researchers supported by nsif work across some of the world’s most respected institutions, leading pioneering work in spinal cord repair. Their expertise reflects decades of progress in olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) science, neural regeneration, biomaterials and clinical translation.
Their collective strengths include:
- OEC transplantation and regenerative cell therapies
- Led by Professor Ying Li, the first scientist to demonstrate anatomical and functional repair of the damaged rat corticospinal tract using OECs, and supported by Dr Daqing Li’s specialist work in preparing both rat and human OECs for transplantation.
- Dr Kamile Minkelyte is advancing this field further by testing banked human OECs within biomaterial scaffolds for future clinical use
- Neural regeneration and restoration of lost function
- Professor Li’s work has shown recovery of movement, sensation and even breathing control in experimental models.
- Julia Kosowska contributes to this area by assessing functional recovery in animal models following transplantation of banked cells.
- Biomaterials and cellular scaffolds for spinal cord repair
- Dr Kamile Minkelyte’s research integrates OECs with advanced biomaterials, including collagen gels, demonstrating restored neurological function in preclinical models.
- Preparation for clinical translation
- Professor Li and Dr Daqing Li collaborated with Dr Pawel Tabakow on the world first autologous OEC transplantation in a patient with spinal cord injury – a landmark case supported by nsif.
- Clinical leadership and future trials
- Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, senior consultant neurosurgeon at Imperial College Healthcare Trust, brings essential clinical expertise. With a PhD in OEC based spinal cord regeneration and experience treating around 40 SCI patients per year, he is positioned to lead the next phase of clinical trials applying laboratory findings to patient care.
Together, they form a research community dedicated to solving one of medicine’s most complex challenges.
Donate now and help change lives
Help make a cure for spinal injury become a reality