Neuromodulation Symposium Positions Miami as a Global Hub for Spinal Cord Injury Research
International experts convened at the University of Miami to examine how neuromodulation and neurotechnology are reshaping spinal cord injury research, clinical trials and patient‑centered care.
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine recently served as a focal point for international efforts to advance neuromodulation and neurotechnology for spinal cord injury (SCI).
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the Miller School’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the National Institute for Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)-funded South Florida SCI Model System co-hosted a multi‑day scientific symposium bringing together researchers, clinicians, engineers and individuals with lived experience of SCI.
“The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the South Florida Spinal Cord Injury Model System and the Lynn Rehabilitation Center, share a common mission to accelerate discoveries that improve the lives of people living with spinal cord injury,” said Leslie Morse, D.O., a member of The Miami Project and professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Miller School. “Hosting this national neuromodulation conference allows us to bring together leading scientists, clinicians, industry innovators and individuals with lived experience to advance the next generation of therapies and move them responsibly into clinical care.”
The conference was organized by Dr. Morse, Elizabeth Felix, Ph.D., the South Florida SCI Model System’s project director, and James Guest M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurological surgery at the Miller School and a member of The Miami Project.
“Neuromodulation for spinal cord injury is really at a crossroads,” said Matija Milosevic, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurological surgery at the Miller School and director of neuromotor rehabilitation at The Miami Project. “It is our imperative to really translate this technology as quickly as possible in an equitable, reasonable way, because that is really what this is about — figuring out what can be translated and making that a real‑life application that will help improve the lives of our patients.”
Miami Project and Miller School Unite Global Leaders in Neuromodulation
“This was the third iteration of the neuromodulation of SCI conference, and the first time we hosted it here in Miami,” said Dr. Felix, professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Miller School. “It was a great opportunity to showcase the breadth of talented clinician-scientists, engineers and SCI advocates we have across the community here at the university and to bring other national and international experts in SCI neuromodulation, as well as industry partners, together to move the science to the clinic more quickly.”
Hosted at the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center, the symposium reflected the Miller School’s growing role as a destination for interdisciplinary SCI research, where neural engineering, rehabilitation science, neurosurgery and translational trials intersect in a single clinical and research ecosystem.
University of Miami Faculty Perspectives on Neuromodulation
University of Miami faculty framed the symposium around a shared challenge: how to responsibly advance neuromodulation for spinal cord injury while maintaining scientific rigor, ethical clarity and relevance to real‑world patient needs.
“One of the most important shifts in our research approach is the intentional integration of individuals with lived experience of spinal cord injury,” said Dr. Guest. “Their perspectives help shape the questions we ask and ensure that our priorities remain focused on outcomes that are truly meaningful in daily life.”
Miami Project faculty underscored that Miami’s strength lies in interdisciplinary collaboration.
“Neuromodulation is no longer confined to a single lab or discipline in Miami,” Dr. Milosevic said. “It’s becoming a coordinated, institution‑wide priority, one that reflects how complex spinal cord injury really is and how carefully innovation needs to be translated into patient care.”
From Discovery to Clinic: Why Rigor and Reproducibility Matter
A major focus of the conference centered on rigor and reproducibility as neuromodulation research moves toward larger clinical trials. Each session of the conference was co-led by a person with SCI and a researcher or clinician who specializes in SCI. During Miami Project–led discussions on study design, speakers cautioned against allowing enthusiasm to outpace evidence, emphasizing that neuromodulation outcomes must be evaluated within tightly controlled experimental frameworks to avoid bias and false positives.
Conference speakers also highlighted the critical role of rehabilitation as both a therapeutic driver and a variable to be addressed in neuromodulation studies. Investigators noted that neuromodulation rarely acts in isolation. Instead, its effects are shaped by the timing, intensity and task‑specific nature of rehabilitation. Without standardization and careful documentation, it becomes difficult to compare outcomes across sites or determine the true contribution of neuromodulation itself.
Redefining Success in Spinal Cord Injury Research
Another recurring theme from Miami Project speakers was the need to redefine success in spinal cord injury research. Faculty emphasized that traditional clinical metrics may fail to capture outcomes that matter most to people living with SCI. University of Miami moderators stressed that improvements observed in laboratory settings must translate into meaningful changes “outside the clinic,” including independence, participation in daily life and quality of life.
Alan Brown, a Miami Project research participant, reinforced why patient‑defined priorities must guide research direction.
“Everything was just about the cure,” Brown said. “But now you have to think about the quality of life and the cure. That’s really important, because sometimes people go into this research thinking it’s going to get them out of the chair. As time goes by, you realize you have to figure out what life is going to be and what that balance is.”
Miami Project faculty referenced Brown’s remarks as emblematic of a broader shift within the field, one that values incremental, meaningful functional gains rather than singular breakthrough narratives.
Ethics, Access and the Role of Federal Support
Ethical responsibility and expectation management also featured prominently in discussions.
“Innovation outpacing access is a real risk,” Dr. Milosevic said, emphasizing that scientific advances must remain grounded in clinical reality and equity.
Conference themes further highlighted the importance of federal funding and coordinated advocacy in sustaining progress. University of Miami speakers pointed to support from the National Institutes of Health and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs’ Spinal Cord Injury Research Program as essential to enabling long‑term, multi‑site trials and maintaining momentum across institutions.
Taken together, Miami Project faculty presented neuromodulation as an evolving, multidisciplinary effort that demands rigor, collaboration and sustained engagement with the spinal cord injury community.
“The work ahead is not only about discovery, but about making that innovation real for people living with spinal cord injury,” said Dr. Milosevic.
Dr. Guest, who has been treating people with spinal cord injury for more than 30 years, said that the last decade has witnessed substantial advances that can benefit people living with spinal cord injury chronically, which previously was not thought to be possible.
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Tags: brain injury, brain-computer interface, Department of Neurological Surgery, Dr. Elizabeth Felix, Dr. James Guest, Dr. Leslie Morse, Dr. Matija Milosevic, neurological surgery, neuromodulation, neurosurgery, spinal cord injuries, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis