Testimony for Funding

“Thank you, Mr. Chairmen and members of the committee, my name is Dr. Daniel Rafter from Minneapolis and I am in favor of this bill (SF 2086). For the last two years I have worked in the Brain Injury Research Lab at Hennepin County Medical Center under the direction of Dr. Uzma Samadani, first as a research coordinator and now as the Clinical Laboratory Manager. I am here today representing Dr. Samadani who is currently speaking to the US Congress in Washington DC on a similar topic, as well as the other dedicated researchers across the state. Throughout my time with our research lab I have been fortunate enough to see the immense impact that the current Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program has made. We have received funding for projects focused on better classifying brain injury, novel treatments for concussion, as well as spinal cord stimulation to allow paralyzed patients to once again move their legs. In the last three years we have enrolled over 1,000 subjects in various studies with a continued focus on improving the lives of Minnesotans fighting to recover from these life altering injuries.

As we will soon hear from one of our subjects, the E-STAND or epidural spinal cord stimulator study is one of many funded by the state that has, and continues to produce results that were once labeled a “pipe dream.” The preliminary data on our subjects in this study was published earlier this month to great acclaim in the Journal of Neurotrauma, a widely recognized peer-reviewed medical journal, and the data discussed is only a fraction of what we have found thus far. Every day, staff on the E-STAND study hear from hopeful parties from all over Minnesota and the world that are interested in enrolling. In total we have had over 700 potential subjects complete the pre-screening questionnaires, have performed intensive in person screening for 30, and have implanted 7 subjects with 2 more scheduled in the coming weeks. This is only possible thanks to the funding we have received from the state. However, for the continued enrollment of paralyzed subjects in this study at standard that facilitates quality research, while also ensuring patient safety and optimal outcomes, the rate limiting step is financial. The necessary equipment alone to conduct screening and follow up testing with subjects has cost approximately $100K. To get the return on this investment for the people of MN we need to be able to implant more subjects. With the backing of the state we were able to secure the donation of 22 stimulator devices from St Jude’s and Abbott, which we are incredibly grateful for, and still have 10 left to use. The future surgeries for these 10 devices at a discounted rate will cost $100k and the salaries of the two diligent staff members running the entire study and conducting 13 follow ups with each patient amounts to another $100K per year. With these numbers it is not hard to see how a generous tier 3 MN State grant of $500K to be used over three years is allocated quickly. Yet, the results for those patients that get to see their legs move for the first time in years is truly priceless.

This is just one example, from one research lab benefitting from the MN State grant program. At Hennepin County Medical Center multiple other studies are underway including those focused on evaluating the efficacy of a novel device for the treatment of concussion, neck strengthening for student athletes to reduce concussion rates, and the use of MRI to detect concussions that otherwise have gone undiagnosed on standard CT imaging amongst others. Over the last year, the researchers in our lab, most of which are supported at least partially by MN State funding, have published 9 scientific papers in top journals and presented data at 6 national and international conferences. Not only does this funding impact the lives of Minnesotans that are living with the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, but it also allows our dedicated research staff, many of whom are local undergraduate students or recent college graduates, to show the nation and the world how truly innovative the great minds of our state are. As we and our colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, and many other institutions statewide work rigorously to find the answers that our traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury subjects deserve, I hope that the members of this committee strongly consider this bill. Together we can work towards a day when a neurologic injury is not synonymous with a lifetime of obstacles. Thank you for your time.”