The Spinal Research Institute (SRI) is focused on building global research collaboration between spinal cord injury (SCI) centres, researchers, clinicians and people with lived experience of SCI. In a new 3-part video series ‘Engaging people with lived experience of SCI in research’, SRI Director, Nick Morris, discusses this collaboration topic in detail with leading expert John Chernesky from Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, and Lynne Panayiotis from Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre.

The best place to begin consumer engagement? John puts it simply, ‘ask a question that matters’.

The discussion outlines the invaluable contribution that people with lived experience (PLEx) of SCI can and do make to the full research cycle from the creative co-design of the research study to advocating the translation of research outcomes, and how meaningful engagement has a positive impact for the project and PLEx. For example, John refers to his own experience when involved in a research study he collaborated on, pointing out that his involvement provided the study with insight and purpose, while it also gave him access to the best and brightest minds in spinal cord injury health management, products that were not yet available on the market and advocacy opportunities for the research outcome to be adopted into health care.

To watch this series in full and find out more on this important topic, visit the SRI Spinal Research Institute Consumer Engagement webpage and subscribe to our YouTube Channel to be the first to watch new videos.