Praxis Spinal Cord Institute

01/07/2026

Better sleep supports better health.

This study on home-based sleep screening for individuals living with spinal cord injury , led by Dr. Julio Furlan, has garnered over 500 views due to its growing impact and relevance. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsr.70112

People living with SCI are at higher risk for sleep-related breathing disorders, but traditional testing can be expensive and inconvenient. The research found that an unattended home-based sleep screening test offered a practical, easy-to-use, and cost-saving alternative.

This approach could make screening for sleep disorders more accessible to the SCI community. Thank you for helping this Praxis-supported work hit 500 views!

01/05/2026

Praxis is pleased to support "Creating the Pathway to Implementation of a National SCI Plan," a new initiative that brings together community organizations, clinicians, researchers, and individuals with lived experience of SCI from across Canada.

The initiative aims to co-create an implementation plan that coordinates and scales programs, best practices, and resources under a unified national framework. This effort seeks to enhance coordination, sustainability, and real-world impact for individuals living with SCI and their families. University Health Network

Learn more: https://praxisinstitute.org/praxis-is-taking-action-for-spinal-cord-injury-care/

Want to be a part of the change?
Join in shaping the National SCI Plan. More details in the link.

01/01/2026

Building on a year defined by collaboration, progress, and purpose, we step into the New Year ready to continue creating meaningful impact, together.
Happy New Year from all of us at Praxis. 🎉 https://praxisinstitute.org/praxis-news/

12/23/2025

Happy Holidays from Praxis Spinal Cord Institute! ✨
A holiday message from our CEO, Bill Barrable.

This year, our team continued to do what matters most: working alongside people living with spinal cord injury to turn knowledge into action in research, innovation, care, and policy. By listening carefully, lifting diverse voices, and ensuring lived experience shapes every decision, we are helping turn ideas into real solutions that improve health, independence, and quality of life for people with SCI in Canada and around the world.

Thank you to everyone in our community for your partnership, trust, and support. We wish you a joyful holiday season filled with rest, connection, and purpose. https://praxisinstitute.org/happy-holidays/

12/22/2025

The Circulus Webinar Series session on Occupational Therapy in Primary Care with Dr. Sarah Pritchard is now available to watch on YouTube.

The session highlighted 5 key areas where OTs can have a major impact on long-term outcomes:

- Improve daily functions, such as transfers, mobility, and home safety
- Support participation in meaningful roles and activities such as work or parenthood
- Prevent complications like pressure injuries or pain
- Educate people and their networks on how to support people with SCI
- Support people in navigating health systems, funding, and services

Learn how Occupational Therapists work with primary care teams to improve daily function, prevent complications, and support people with SCI to live fuller, more independent lives.

Watch now:

Speaker: Sarah PritchardOccupational TherapistCFFM Mobility ClinicKitchener, ON

12/19/2025

Learn about the new ISCoS SCI Standards Toolkit, a valuable resource that helps strengthen spinal cord injury care across healthcare systems by implementing shared standards.​

The toolkit supports the delivery of consistent, high-quality, person-centered SCI care. It offers practical, ready-to-use guidance and tools that SCI services and systems can adopt to enhance the care delivered to people living with SCI.​ International Spinal Cord Society - The International Spinal Cord Society - ISCoS

Explore our partners’ work and access the Toolkit here: https://scitoolkit.iscos.org.uk/

12/16/2025

Canada is poised to lead the world in spinal cord injury (SCI) research, but only if we keep investing in data, innovation, and patient-centred care.

Proud to see Praxis CEO Bill Barrable highlight Canada’s SCI data ecosystem, national collaborations, and made-in-Canada innovations now reaching patients.

🔗 Read more in Techcouver : Canada Can Lead the World in Spinal Cord Injury Research—If We Keep Investing

Techcouver is an online publication providing real-time reporting and analysis of emerging technology news in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia.

12/09/2025

Did you know the Praxis PLEX Fellowship Program supports people with SCI in transforming their lived experience into meaningful impact in research and innovation?

This year, we’re thrilled to welcome two dynamic new PLEX Fellows Leo Sammarelli and Keith Jenkinson. Their lived experience, deep community insight will elevate PLEX-informed innovation across the our initiatives. Contributions from our new fellows will have a major impact on the 2025 Praxis SCI Accelerate program, ensuring that every innovation is established in line with practitioners' real-world needs and perspectives.

12/08/2025

[Publication] New research on traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) outcomes

A new study led by Dr. Michael Bond examined factors associated with mortality, complications, and longer hospital stays among people with tSCI in British Columbia.

The findings show that individuals with cervical injuries, complete or more severe injuries, and those with more complex medical conditions face a higher risk of complications or death. These insights help care teams identify patients at greater risk and better target interventions to improve outcomes.

Read the full paper - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10790268.2025.2571822

12/05/2025

[Publication] A new study using data from the Praxis-led Canadian SCI Registry (RHSCIR) explores whether men and women recover differently after traumatic spinal cord injury . This study shows that when high-quality care is provided, biological s*x does not influence recovery after a spinal cord injury. It's a strong reminder of the importance of equitable, evidence-based care for all living with an SCI.

Read paper - https://praxisinstitute.org/effects-of-biological-s*x-on-access-to-care-and-outcomes-after-acute-spinal-cord-injury/

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This article describes the development of priorities and actions to improve the state of research, policy, and practice related to accessible housing in Canada for persons with disability or with accessible housing needs. A modified Delphi approach with an expert cross-sectoral panel was used to g*i...

12/04/2025

Adapting to life after SCI!

New YouTube Shorts series about wheelchair balance and adaptive exercise. Learn how small adjustments can make a meaningful difference in preventing falls and supporting health and independence for people living with SCI.

Check out the series here: https://www.youtube.com//shorts

Praxis is proud to support this work.

SCIRE (Spinal Cord Injury Research Evidence) is a globally recognized resource where experts review and rate the scientific research to make quality information available to everyone and improve the lives of people living with SCI. By using SCIRE: - Health care providers can access Rehabilitation Ev...

12/03/2025

Today, we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and celebrate the strength and contributions of individuals with disabilities to the field. We reaffirm our commitment to advancing equity and innovation in and acknowledge their voice, leadership and impact on the community.

Check out some resources here on:
• Our page, Living with SCI - https://praxisinstitute.org/living-with-sci/
• United Nations - https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities #:~:text=Increasing%20the%20participation%20of%20persons,Photo:UNICEF/Uganda/Barbeyrac