International Center for Spinal Cord Injury

Research. Restoration. Recovery.

Founded in 2005 by neurologist Dr. John McDonald, one of the world’s foremost experts on the treatment of paralysis, the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) represents something remarkable in the field of paralysis treatment: hope.

For many years, experts held that most improvements from spinal cord injuries (SCI) occurred in the first six months of recovery, and that improvement was impossible after two years. “Rehabilitation” focused mostly on teaching patients how to compensate for injuries they thought to be irreversible. The experts were wrong.

The International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) at Kennedy Krieger Institute was founded on the philosophy that individuals with paralysis can always hope for recovery of sensation, function, mobility, and independence, months and even years after injury. Another realization was that children are most likely to benefit from intense rehabilitation. ICSCI is one of the first facilities in the world to combine innovative research with a unique focus on restoration and rehabilitation for children and adults with chronic paralysis.

Mission of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury: Transitioning today's science to near-term therapeutic applications, we focus on developing and applying advanced restoration strategies for optimizing spontaneous recovery in those living with paralysis.