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    Research

    Our research is grounded in a commitment to improve the wellbeing of our community. Find out more about our research partnerships and how you can get involved.

    Be a Part of the Breakthroughs that save lives

    At SCIA, we believe research is a powerful tool to improve wellbeing, strengthen our services, and drive meaningful change in clinical practice and policy. By getting involved, you’ll help us understand what works, what needs to change, and how we can better support people with SCI and other disabilities.

    Research Partners

    SCIA has ongoing partnerships with the following organisations and research institutes to advance research and build a better community for people with disabilities.

    This PhD project aligns with Spinal Cord Injury Australia’s mission to help people with SCI overcome barriers, achieve goals, and live independently. Focusing on the...

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    Our PhD project with Edith Cowan University aims to develop a practical strategy for integrating physical activity monitoring (PAM) into clinical settings for people...

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    SCIA works with SpinalCure on a range of projects including a current project utilising NeuroMoves staff. SpinalCure is Australia’s premier nationally operating Not-for-Profit organisation funding spinal cord injury research....

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    SCIA partners with NeuRA on a range of research initiatives including several that include NeuroMoves staff. NeuRA is an independent, not-for-profit research institute based in Sydney,...

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    Take Part in Research

    We’re regularly looking people with SCI to participate in research studies and trials. Whether it’s sharing your thoughts in a quick survey or diving deeper in an interview, your lived experience gives our work real impact.

    Take a look at what we’re currently recruiting for here:

    Resource Opportunities Type Filter

    University of Western Sydney would like to gather the experiences of Australia-based individuals on their pain condition from spinal cord injury, their experiences and satisfaction with conventional pain-related pharmaceutical treatment, and their experiences and views on facilitating and limiting factors of accessing and receiving acupuncture for pain management. The result of this survey will help to provide direction towards the design of future interventional studies, while reporting on the current experiences of individuals living with pain associated with SCI to support services. This research is expected to provide recommendations for policy and practice in Australia.

    Click here to learn more.

    University of Queensland is looking for people living with a spinal cord injury, or supporting someone who is, means navigating unique challenges. But it also means incredible strength and resilience. We want to hear YOUR story about bouncing back and finding new ways forward. We’re inviting people with lived experience of traumatic spinal cord injury, their families and friends, and health and community service providers to share their insights. Your input will directly help us develop better ways to foster resilience and improve support practices!

    How You Can Make a Difference:

    • Share your unique experiences about life after spinal cord injury.
    • Pinpoint key areas where support could be even better.
    • Collaborate with others to generate innovative ideas for enhancing resilience.

    Click here to read more and apply.

    The University of South Australia is interested in how you access and use health information to make informed decisions about your healthcare.

    Participation involves completing an online survey (~20 minutes) with questions about:

    • Your background
    • How you access and use health information
    • Your confidence in your ability to manage health issues
    • Your health needs and quality of life

    Click the link to find out more.

    Previous PHD Scholarships

    We’re proud to have supported the following PHD students with their research:

    Camilla Quel de Oliveira

    University of Sydney

    PhD thesis: view here.

    Peer-reviewed papers: paper 1, paper 2, paper 3.

    ResearchGate profile: Camila Quel de Oliveira

    Vanesa Bochkezanian

    Edith Cowan University

    PhD thesis: view here.

    Peer-reviewed papers: BMC Neurology 1, BMC Neurology 2, Med Sci Sports Exerc.

    Paul Watson

    University of Sydney

    Physical Activity in People with Spinal Cord Injury: A Mixed Methods Analysis. The University of Sydney February 2024:

    ResearchGate profile

    Looking for Support with Research?

    Research at SCIA is underpinned by our Research Framework and guided by our Bi-annual Research Plan.

    Please take some time to read the Additional Resources below to see if your project aligns.

    In the meantime, if you would like SCIA’s Clinical Governance and Research Committee (CGRC) to provide you research support through promotion, support, partnership and funding, please fill out the form here:

    "*" indicates required fields

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    SCIA is committed to research and has developed a Research Framework which is supported by our Clinical Governance and Research Committee. The Committee develops a bi-annual research plan that informs research direction over a two-year period. SCIA supports research through a mix of promotion, support, partnership and funding.

    This form is to be completed if you would like SCIA to support or promote your research project.

    If you have any questions relating to Research at SCIA or filling out this form please contact Hannah Maslen, Secretary of Clinical Governance Research Committee, at hmaslen@scia.org.au or (08) 6256 5513.

    Your Name
    What level of assistance are you seeking from SCIA?*

    Additional Resources

    Research Framework

    Bi-Annual Research Plan

    This PhD project aligns with Spinal Cord Injury Australia’s mission to help people with SCI overcome barriers, achieve goals, and live independently. Focusing on the lived experience of individuals recently injured, the research will explore how people rebuild their lives and re-engage in meaningful, productive roles. The findings will offer valuable insights for families, service providers, and policymakers—shaping future social interventions and support systems based on what truly matters to those with SCI.

    Key outcomes include:

    • Understanding how individuals adapt and resume productive roles post-injury
    • Identifying pathways and factors that support meaningful engagement
    • Providing evidence-based recommendations for consumer-led interventions, policy improvements, and timely, person-centred support

    Our PhD project with Edith Cowan University aims to develop a practical strategy for integrating physical activity monitoring (PAM) into clinical settings for people with physical disabilities resulting from neurological conditions. The research will be embedded within a community-based exercise clinic and will explore how PAM can support improvements in physical activity levels and cardiometabolic health. It will also assess current health and activity levels among participants, involve consumers and the community in designing an implementation protocol, and evaluate the effectiveness of PAM in boosting engagement. Key factors such as feasibility, acceptability, reach, and adoption will be examined to ensure the strategy is both impactful and sustainable.

    Spinal Cure Australia

    SCIA works with SpinalCure on a range of projects including a current project utilising NeuroMoves staff. SpinalCure is Australia’s premier nationally operating Not-for-Profit organisation funding spinal cord injury research. They are committed to making a cure for spinal cord injury not only achievable but available and fund breakthrough technologies, data, and creative thinking. 

    NeuRA

    SCIA partners with NeuRA on a range of research initiatives including several that include NeuroMoves staff. NeuRA is an independent, not-for-profit research institute based in Sydney, Australia. As a leader in brain and nervous system research, their goal is to prevent, treat and cure brain and nervous system diseases, disorders and injuries through medical research.  

    Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation combined with locomotor training to improve walking ability in people with chronic spinal cord injury: a multi-centre double-blinded randomised sham-controlled trial. The walking and spinal cord stimulation trial ran by NeuRA aims to determine if spinal cord stimulation combined with walking training is more effective than only walking training. This will help to identify the most effective type of training to rehabilitate walking function.

    The trial lasts for 16 weeks in total, with walking training 3x a week for 12 weeks. The trial is for people with a cervical and thoracic level spinal cord injury.

    Please click here for detailed information

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