TD grant helps scientist in her research on spinal cord injuries

Thanks to a very generous donation from TD Bank Group, seed funding is being provided for a number of young physician researchers at our hospitals over the next decade.

Dr. Patricia Mills, a physician scientist at the GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre and ICORD Spinal Cord Research Program, is the first recipient of the Adopt a Young Scientist Award made possible by TD’s $750,000 donation to our VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

The award, provided through the TD Grants in Medical Excellence program, will have significant impact both today and well into the future. It will also give young physician researchers an incredible opportunity to solve the questions they see at the bedside.

Dr. Mill’s research – a first of its kind – will evaluate whether electrical stimulation of the brain can improve blood pressure control in individuals with a spinal cord injury, which, among other things, would improve their ability to engage in physical rehabilitation. The electrical stimulation appears to counter the negative sensations, including blackouts that many people with spinal cord injuries experience when they sit up after being in a horizontal position. These sensations make it very difficult for patients to start the exercise regimes that are necessary to regain sensation and mobility.

“This award will help me launch my career as a physician scientist,” says Dr. Mills. “I want to bring the benefits of my research directly back to the patients here, and around the world. I am so grateful to the TD Grants in Medical Excellence program for this wonderful opportunity.”