Working Together to Improve Spinal Cord Injury Research

The Hopkins Centre for Rehabilitation and Resilience is committed to advancing spinal cord injury (SCI) research through strong partnerships between consumers, clinicians, academics and researchers. By embedding collaboration at the heart of our work, The Hopkins Centre supports research that is not only scientifically rigorous, but also grounded in lived experience and real-world priorities.

Spinal cord injury is a life-changing condition that can affect mobility, independence, health and participation in everyday life. Improving outcomes requires research that reflects what matters most to people living with SCI. At The Hopkins Centre, we recognise that individuals with lived experience bring essential expertise. Their insights help shape meaningful research questions, refine study design, improve accessibility and ensure that findings translate into practical benefits.

Collaborative research also requires attention to communication, accessibility and balancing power. Clear language, appropriate recognition of contributions, and fair reimbursement are critical to creating inclusive research environments. Through our projects and partnerships, The Hopkins Centre actively promotes co-design and capacity building so that consumers, clinicians and researchers can work together with confidence and mutual respect.

The Hopkins Centre demonstrated our commitment to this at the ANZSCoS Annual Scientific Meeting 2025 be delivering a co-design workshop and producing the below 'Workshop Outcomes Summary' document on how people with spinal cord injury, academics and clinicians can work together to do better research.

Download the PDF document here.

By fostering ongoing connections, mentorship and shared learning, The Hopkins Centre is helping to strengthen the spinal cord injury research community. When consumers, academics and clinicians work together as partners, research is better positioned to deliver meaningful change, leading to improved health, wellbeing and participation for people living with spinal cord injury.