International SCI Biobank Program Manager Adam Velenosi presents to the KITE Research Institute at UHN on “International SCI Biobank: Catalyzing Scientific Discoveries in Spinal Cord Injury Research Through the Distribution of Human Specimens.”

The presentation is part of the Dr. Albin T. Jousse Lecture Series and was recorded on February 17, 2022.

Abstract

While much basic science research has been done to elucidate the complex pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCI), virtually all of this research has been conducted using animal models. Due to important differences between the pathophysiology and pathobiology of human and animal SCI, further study of the effects of this devastating injury in humans is clearly warranted. The first of its kind, the International Spinal Cord Injury Biobank (ISCIB) was established in 2019 to store biospecimens and their associated data from individuals who have sustained an SCI. These materials are then made available for future research. The objective of this presentation is to provide an overview of ISCIB, the requests received to date and future directions.

Biography

Adam Velenosi is a biobanker from Vancouver, Canada with over seven years’ experience in the field of biobanking. Currently, he works at Praxis as the ISCIB Program Manager. ISCIB is a repository for human spinal cord injury specimens and associated data, established by surgeon-scientist Dr. Brian Kwon of the University of British Columbia’s International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD).

To learn more, visit www.sci-biobank.org.