Hopkins SCI research takes the international stage at ISCoS 2026

Hopkins researchers showcased spinal cord injury (SCI) research on the international stage at the 65th International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) Annual Scientific Meeting, held from 7–10 October 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The international meeting brought together researchers, clinicians, health professionals and people with lived experience from around the world to share new knowledge, innovations and approaches to improving the health, rehabilitation and quality of life of people with SCI.

Representing The Hopkins Centre, Dr Sam Borg, Professor Tim Geraghty, Dr Michaela Filipcikova and Dr Evgeniya Zakharova-Luneva delivered five oral presentations and 3 posters collectively, spanning opioid use after SCI, recovery following pressure injury flap surgery, and understanding and translating the priorities of people with SCI into meaningful improvements in research, practice and policy.

 

Understanding opioid use following spinal cord injury

Dr Sam Borg delivered two oral presentations drawing on her PhD research investigating opioid use following SCI in Queensland.   

Her first presentation, 'Community opioid dispensing patterns in adults with spinal cord injury in Queensland, Australia: a retrospective data linkage study', examined patterns of community opioid dispensing among adults with SCI.

Sam also presented 'Opioid use following spinal cord injury: a qualitative study involving people with lived experience and healthcare providers in Queensland, Australia'. This work explored perspectives and experiences of opioid use after SCI from both people with lived experience and healthcare providers.  

Additionally, Sam presented a poster related to another aspect of her PhD work entitled 'Pain management strategies and factors related to opioid use following SCI in Australia: a cross-sectional study', which was a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Australian arm of the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey for which the Hopkins Centre is the lead Queensland research partner.

Together, the studies provided important insights into how opioids are used and experienced following SCI and contributed evidence to support safer, more person-centred approaches to pain management.

   

 

Improving recovery following pressure injury flap surgery

Professor Tim Geraghty and Dr Evgeniya Zakharova-Luneva shared findings from Hopkins research examining recovery following pressure injury flap surgery for people with SCI/D.  

Tim presented 'Lived Experience and Clinician Perspectives on Post-Flap Surgery Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder,' highlighting the experiences and perspectives of people with SCI/D and clinicians involved in the recovery journey.

Evgeniya presented 'Postoperative and Rehabilitation Outcomes After Pressure Injury Flap Surgery in Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder,' sharing research examining postoperative and rehabilitation outcomes following pressure injury flap surgery.

Evgeniya, also displayed a poster 'Pressure Injury Flap Surgery in People with SCI/D: A Scoping Review of Surgical and Rehabilitation Outcomes'.

Both presentations and poster built on work undertaken through a Hopkins Centre seed grant project focused on complications and recovery following pressure injury flap surgery. By combining clinical evidence with the perspectives of people with lived experience and healthcare professionals, the project has helped identify opportunities to improve care across the surgical and rehabilitation journey.

The research has also contributed to new publications and the development of a co-designed clinical pathway to support the management of pressure injuries requiring surgical reconstruction.

 

Turning SCI research priorities into action

Dr Michaela Filipcikova presented 'Australian Consensus on Priority Topics for Translating Spinal Cord Injury Research into Practice: Findings from an e-Delphi Study.'  

The presentation showcased work from the Aus-InSCI Translation Project, a National Injury Insurance Scheme Queensland (NIISQ) funded initiative focused on turning findings from the Australian arm of the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey into practical action for the benefit of Queenslanders and Australians with SCI.

The e-Delphi study brought together people with lived experience of SCI and professionals working across the SCI sector to identify and reach consensus on priority areas for research translation. These priorities are helping guide efforts to ensure research responds to the issues that matter most to the SCI community and leads to meaningful changes in policy, practice and community support.

Michaela’s research was also featured in a poster at the conference titled ‘Beyond the Aus-InSCI Community Survey: Translating Data into Action with Insights on Employment After SCI'  View poster here.

 

Sharing Hopkins research on the international stage

Together, the five presentations and 3 posters demonstrated the breadth of SCI research being undertaken by Hopkins researchers – from understanding medication use and improving surgical rehabilitation pathways to ensuring the priorities and experiences of people living with SCI inform research and its translation into practice.

 

Attending ISCoS provided an important opportunity for the Hopkins team to share locally driven research with an international audience, learn from emerging research and practice from around the world, and connect with others working to improve outcomes for people with SCI.

The conference also provided valuable opportunities to strengthen national and international research connections and bring new knowledge, perspectives and ideas back to The Hopkins Centre’s research, clinical and lived experience communities.

 

Hopkins research by Dr Sam Borg and  Dr Michaela Filipcikova was also featured in posters at the conference titled ‘Beyond the Aus-InSCI Community Survey: Translating Data into Action with Insights on Employment After SCI’ (View poster here) and ‘Pain management strategies and factors related to opioid use following spinal cord injury in Australia: a cross-sectional study’ (View poster here).

 

Conference highlights and key takeaways

Prof Tim Geraghty: “Pressure injuries following SCI remain a very challenging problem globally for both people with lived experience and for clinicians and researchers trying to improve prevention and management approaches hence there was significant interest in Hopkins pressure injury flap surgery research including from researchers in Canada and Norway” 

Dr Sam Borg: "My key takeaway from the conference was just how connected all our areas of research and clinical practice are. My focus on pain and opioids sparked conversations about employment, rehabilitation timelines and sleep, highlighting how much these areas overlap. It was a good reminder not to become too focused on our individual research areas, but to step back and consider the bigger picture about the person as a whole and how all these factors shape their lives."

View Sam's conference LinkedIn post

View the Aus-InSCI Translation Project's post

View Sam's poster here

Dr Michaela Filipcikova: "I attended the pre-conference Prevention Workshop on 7 October and learned a lot about how SCI is assessed and managed in different countries, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. I also gained a deeper understanding of the importance of national registries in providing an overview of SCI prevalence, leading causes, and long-term outcomes. 

During my poster session, a lot of people stopped by to discuss the Translation Project and the process we use to develop each topic. It was reassuring to hear that people were interested in our approach and found it relevant to their work.

As the poster focused on employment, I also learned about initiatives in other countries that support people with SCI to return to work. One example that stood out was a program in Phoenix, Arizona, where a portion of revenue from traffic fines is used to fund vocational rehabilitation programs for people with SCI and TBI. I heard several inspiring examples of individuals who had been supported to retrain and return to employment, often in their previous field of work."

I joined the ISCoS Psychosocial Special Interest Group and attended their meeting during the conference. This was a great opportunity to connect with researchers from the USA, Hong Kong, Europe and elsewhere who share similar research interests, and I hope some of these connections will lead to future collaborations. I would definitely recommend joining a SIG to anyone looking to connect with like-minded professionals who are passionate about advancing research in their field.

Additionally, as one of this year’s recipients of the Spinal Research Institute Research Collaboration Grant, I had the opportunity to connect with many early career researchers from Australia and overseas, exchange ideas and build connections that will hopefully develop into future collaborations.

View Michaela's conference LinkedIn post

View Michaela's poster here

Dr Evgeniya Zakharova-Luneva:

View Evgeniya's poster here.

 

The Hopkins Centre congratulates Sam, Tim, Michaela and Evgeniya on representing the Centre and sharing their work with the international spinal cord injury community at ISCoS 2026.