About this episode

This episode explores the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database and its impact on SCI research and rehabilitation.

For more than 50 years, the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database has been the cornerstone of spinal cord injury (SCI) research in the United States. Since 1973, it has captured detailed information from thousands of people with traumatic SCI, helping researchers track long-term outcomes, improve rehabilitation care and guide new discoveries. In this episode, we explore how the database works, what makes it unique and how its insights continue to shape the future of SCI care and recovery. Our guests are: Anne Deutsch, PhD, RN , research scientist, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and co-principal investigator, Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System Yuying Chen, MD, PhD, director, National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Jennifer Coker, PhD, MPH, co-director, National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, co-director of the Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System at the Kessler Foundation This special episode is co-hosted with David McMillan, PhD, host of the American Spinal Injury Association podcast, SCI Science Perspectives. Find the podcast on ⁠ Spotify ⁠…

People in this episode

Host: David McMillan, PhD

Guests: Anne Deutsch, PhD, RN, Yuying Chen, MD, PhD, Jennifer Coker, PhD, MPH, Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD

Topics covered

• spinal cord injury
• rehabilitation research
• long-term outcomes
• database insights
• healthcare improvement

Keywords

• spinal cord injury
• rehabilitation
• research database
• long-term outcomes
• healthcare
• SCI care
• recovery

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Kessler Foundation, American Spinal Injury Association

More episodes of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast

• Parkinson's Disease & Storytelling · April 14, 2026 · 21 min
• Living Independently in Utrecht, the Netherlands, After Spinal Cord Injury · March 10, 2026 · 24 min
• The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center · January 12, 2026 · 18 min
• Accessible Air Travel with Open Doors Organization · December 9, 2025 · 31 min
• FacingDisability.com: Resources for Families of People Living With Spinal Cord Injury · November 11, 2025 · 18 min
• Rebalancing Long-term Services and Supports · October 13, 2025 · 14 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast podcast page.