Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
636 Morris Turnpike
Suite 3A
Short Hills, NJ 07078
800-225-0292
www.ChristopherReeve.org

Mission
The Christopher Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.

Background 
With the passing of its Chairman and namesake, the Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF) stands at an acute crossroads. We are charged with continuing his legacy and growing the momentum, which he so ardently created. We take on the responsibility of all those who have invested in us to succeed.

Christopher’s life brought visibility to a condition which is often invisible, experienced by millions of children and adults who lay immobilized behind closed bedrooms, hospitals and institutions. It is his legacy and challenge to us all to keep up the pace of the work he championed.

The roots of CRF began in the early 1980’s, when several small family foundations from around the country banded together to create the American Paralysis Association.  These pioneers refused to accept the long-standing dogma that once damaged, the injured spinal cord could never be repaired.  Today, through CRF’s persistence and promise, neuroscientists around the world agree that repairing the damaged spinal cord is not a question of if, but a question of when.

Soon after his spinal cord injury in 1995, Christopher sought out the American Paralysis Association. Impressed and excited with the extraordinary research we were funding,
Christopher made the decision to form an affiliation that eventually led to the merger and creation of the Christopher Reeve Foundation. His passion for research and belief in our methodology to develop treatments and cures was why he felt so compelled to join forces with us.

Research Programs
Today, the Foundation is recognized as the premier spinal cord injury (SCI) research organization throughout the world. Our research strategies cover an entire spectrum beginning with recruiting new investigators to the field of SCI research, to providing seed money to basic researchers that eventually develop breakthroughs supported by the National Institutes of Health and other funding sources, to efforts in taking bench research into the clinic for application in patients around the globe. Our mission is simple, but the method requires the collaboration of the best and brightest minds in neuroscience. To that end, the Foundation gathers the most distinguished researchers in order to build a true laboratory without walls.

Basic research starts with our Individual Research Grants Program, our largest, most comprehensive research initiative that focuses on the molecular and cellular level of research. The Foundation’s support of basic research at this level provides investigators the opportunity to take smart risks and bold ideas, and turn them into catalytic breakthroughs. The findings that emerge from these research endeavors have the potential to contribute to treatments for other devastating diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, MS, ALS, and stroke. 

The Foundation’s Research Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury is an international multi-disciplinary collaboration of established laboratories. Having recognized that no one laboratory had the breadth to tackle the complex challenges of restoring function to the damaged spinal cord, CRF organized the Consortium in 1995.  These senior investigators work to promote repair and recovery through collaboration among researchers representing a diversity of disciplinary backgrounds and perspectives. The Consortium fosters inter-laboratory experiments and encourages investigators to pool their talents, expertise, and techniques in pursuit of new knowledge and therapies. 

The Translational Research Fund supports projects that take an established basic science finding and moves it to the doorstep of human clinical trials. Its effectiveness is thoroughly tested and further developed in order to cautiously yet rapidly supply therapies to the clinic. The outcomes from these projects ensure that only valid and appropriate therapies move on to the next step towards treatments.  

The goal of the North American Clinical Trials Network is to bring promising and evidence-based therapies for SCI from the laboratory to the patient population in a way that will provide effectiveness while ensuring safety to patients undergoing treatment. CRF has brought together five leading clinical research centers and a bio-statistical center to create the Clinical Trials Network. The groups are building the foundation for a global cross-collaboration that will help speed therapeutic development and get useful therapies to people who need them.

Quality of Life Programs
The Foundation funds of variety of national, regional and local initiatives that benefit both children and adults with disabilities, especially those with spinal cord injuries. These grants are designed to substantially improve opportunities, access and day-to-day quality of life for individuals living with disabilities, primarily paralysis, and their families. This program recognizes the unique and numerous needs of these individuals and the importance of providing services and programs that enable them to participate in all areas of life.

Christopher & Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center (PRC)
In May 2002, the PRC opened its doors to promote the health and well-being of people living with paralysis and their families by providing comprehensive information resources and referral services. The PRC, guided by a Paralysis Task Force, houses a national clearinghouse library of paralysis-related publications, maintains a constantly evolving self-help website, and publishes an extensive print manual, The Paralysis Resource Guide. The PRC is equipped to address inquiries in more than 50 languages through the help of real-time translation services. Contact the PRC at 800-539-7309 or visit www.paralysis.org

Chairman of the Board
Dana Reeve

Summary
The Christopher Reeve Foundation is unique, driven by people who share the same fierce hope and dedication. We are proud of our world-renowned research programs and commitment to improving the lives of people living with paralysis.  The Foundation offers a bevy of stories for journalists to tell – from established researchers committed to discovering treatments for paralysis; to the Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury’s post doctoral fellows just embarking on their careers; from over 200 annual Quality of Life grant recipients who improve opportunities, access and day-to-day quality of life for individuals living with disabilities; to our Action Network members who are part of a team of people who believe in the potential of science.  All of these stories have one thing in common – they define the indefatigable spirit of the human heart and mind.

Please don’t hesitate to contact CRF’s Communications team for more information.  We can be reached at media@christopherreeve.org or 800-225-0292.

Thank you for helping us spread awareness of our mission.