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The research team at the Neil Sachse Centre is growing, with five research students joining Ryan O'Hare Doig to work on three major research projects.

New Honours students Reeya Patel and Shehani Loku-Pathirage join third-year PhD student Sandra Jenkner's project to try and increase our knowledge of stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury.

Reeya and Sandra want to create "super" stem cells trained to survive the perils of inflammation and toxicity of spinal cord damage to improve their ability to repair and regenerate.

Shehani's work focuses on enhancing the neural properties of stem cells by grafting three-dimensional graphene-based scaffolds into the cord.

Our previous Honours student, Paul Marciano, has decided to dedicate his next 3-4 years to spinal cord injury research, joining us this year for the first year of his PhD.

He is investigating novel techniques for delivering drugs into the central nervous system using newly synthesised biodegradable nanoparticles. This could help people regain their respiratory motor function - a common life-threatening condition following a spinal cord injury.

PhD student Georgia Bright is onto her second year with us. She continues on her mission to unlock the secrets of the spinal cord using advanced neuroimaging.

Georgia's research aims to dig deep into the neural mechanisms behind sexual dysfunction. It's novel research that could improve the lives of individuals affected by this life-changing disease.