The Committee Goals
The Committee’s goals are to foster collaboration and communication in order to promote an integrated approach to the development, implementation and assessment of Praxis’ programmatic activities and to continuously assess Praxis’ strategic role and contribution in achieving its vision, mission, operation and fundraising goals.
Making an Impact
on Initiatives
The Committee will support Praxis in determining how best to accelerate spinal cord injury (SCI) research into action and contribute toward our vision of a world without paralysis after SCI. A few specific initiatives this Committee will advise on are consumer engagement, biomarkers, neuro-restorative therapies, the SCI Care Program, the SCI Data Strategy, commercialization and emerging areas. In providing input on these specific area, the Committee will support the preparation of our strategic plan and future funding proposals.
Dr. Anderson-Erisman is a Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine. Her research has focused on translational investigations and bridging the gap between basic science, clinical science, and the public community living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Her training spans the spectrum of SCI research, from cellular and molecular studies, to whole animal and behavioral studies, to human clinical research. Several of her studies have focused on obtaining the perspective of people living with SCI on various aspects of research, including functional priorities, acceptable benefits and risks, preferences for neuroprosthetics, and exercise participation. She has expertise in SCI outcome measures and has conducted a multi-center clinical study evaluating the reliability and validity of the Spinal Cord Independence Measure in the US healthcare setting.
Sean Gjos provides fractional executive-level consulting services to emerging healthcare technology companies. Previously, he founded a mental health clinic and was a Partner in a private equity firm, where he helped healthcare service companies navigate the challenges of growth. Sean is also the honorary chairperson for SCORE Fund, a non-profit that assists people paralyzed while participating in sports. Sean earned a B.A. from Brown University, an M.B.A. from UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management, and the ICD.D designation by completing the Institute of Corporate Directors Education Program.
Dr. Graves is an Assistant Professor on the tenure-track at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), School of Nursing (SON). She has taught across curriculums including undergraduate and graduate nursing students, and in her current academic role, she is a course coordinator for the Nursing Science I & II courses for predoctoral PhD nursing students. She also holds a joint appointment with the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center as a Research Health Scientist. Her research is focused on investigating how symptom science can be used to help explain, predict, and manage symptoms and multimorbidity following spinal cord injury (SCI) primarily in the Veteran population. In 2021, she was selected for the inaugural VA Office of Research DEI scholars’ program where she received funding to conduct a pilot study that expanded analysis of genomic biomarkers of recurrent pressure injury in Veterans with SCI to include environmental and lifestyle risks or epigenetic impacts on recurrent pressure injury. This work continues to be expanded to include other co-morbid secondary health conditions that are highly relevant to Veterans living with SCI including disturbed sleep, fatigue, and depression.
Clay Horner, a distinguished advisor in mergers and acquisitions, retired from Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in 2018 after a remarkable career. He earned a national and international reputation for his expertise in guiding senior management and boards of directors of prominent public and private corporations through complex transactions. With extensive experience in cross-border deals, Clay acted on numerous significant transactions in collaboration with U.S. and international law firms and investment banks.