The E-STAND study is the result of a team effort that includes physicians, engineers, scientists, and community activists from all over Minnesota and beyond.
E-STAND operates at 3 sites in Minneapolis
Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin Healthcare is the largest level one trauma center in downtown Minneapolis and has been enrolling people in E-STAND since September 2017. In total, this site has implanted six participants with epidural stimulators.
The largest medical research University in Minnesota has been a collaborating institution since the study began in 2017. They provide spinal cord injury expertise and are working to enroll participants in extensive spinal cord injury autonomic dysfunction testing.
The VA health system is the largest system in the world providing lifelong spinal cord care. The E-STAND study at the Minneapolis VA health center enrolls only United States veterans.
Collaborating Labs
The Netoff laboratory at the University of Minnesota is directed by Dr. Tay Netoff. For the E-STAND study, this lab works to determine optimal stimulator settings for each individual participant.
iCord is a laboratory in Vancouver, Canada that specializes in Spinal Cord Research. Dr. Krassioukov and his students provide spinal cord injury autonomic dysfunction expertise, guiding autonomic research on the E-STAND trial
The Phillips lab is directed by the E-STAND collaborator, Dr. Aaron Phillips out of Calgary, Canada. This collaborating facility provides spinal cord injury autonomic dysfunction expertise to the trial.
E-STAND Funding
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
The Minnesota Office of Higher Education administers the Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program for research into new and innovative treatments and rehabilitative efforts for the functional improvement of people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. E-STAND has been supported by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education since 2017.
Get Up Stand Up To Cure Paralysis (GUSU) is a nonprofit organization in Minnesota working to unite, educate and support those dealing with Spinal Cord Injuries and to advocate for research and the restoration of function. GUSU awarded E-STAND research funding in 2018 to support autonomic function testing.
E-STAND Device Source
Abbott Labs (formerly St. Jude Medical) has kindly donated their epidural stimulation devices for the study.