Marina Martinez

Marina Martinez Lab

Spinal Cord Injury Research

Who we are


UdeM

Hôpital du Sacré Coeur



Grsnc


Our labs are located at the Department of Neuroscience at Université de Montréal (UdeM) and at Centre de Recherche de l’Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal (HSCM), in the city of Montréal, Québec, Canada. Our research falls under the Traumatology theme, one of the three research priority guiding the HSCM towards its goal of making ground-breaking discoveries and apply this new knowledge towards improvements in health.


What we do

The primary focus of our research is the neural basis of recovery after spinal cord injury.
We use rodent and cat models and a combination of electrophysiological, behavioural and anatomical techniques to study the link between neuroplasticity mechanisms and motor recovery after spinal cord lesions.
We develop mechanisms-driven neurorehabilitation approaches for motor control, including neuroprosthetics.


MAJOR ISSUES EXPLORED:
  1. How cortical and spinal plasticity contribute to locomotor recovery after spinal cord injury
  2. How recovery-related mechanisms can be promoted after spinal cord injury
  3. How these animal studies can be translated to novel therapies


Why we work

Promoting recovery of function after spinal cord injury is a challenge for scientists and health-care system. In Canada, about 86,000 people live with a spinal cord injury, and more than 4,300 new cases arise every year. For spinal cord injured individuals, limitations in sensory-motor activities such as walking and posture severely affect their quality of life. The management of these patients is a major public health issue and is associated with enormous economic costs, with tens of billions of dollars spent annually within Canada alone.

Currently there are few effective therapies available for these patients and appropriate approaches can only be developed if a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms sustaining recovery is obtained. In our lab we are studying the fundamentals of recovery with the ultimate goal of providing clinicians with new therapeutic tools to improve the treatment of SCI patients.

Techniques


Techniques

Careers


INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THE TEAM?


STUDENTS / RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS
We are currently recruiting neuroscientists and/or engineers with a strong background in motor systems, neuroprosthetics and/or AI-based neurostimulation approaches. Required skills: electrophysiology (electromyographic recordings, intracortical microstimulation), motor behaviour (locomotor tests in rodents/cats), and /or programming.

Contact


MARINA MARTINEZ, PH.D.

Associate Professor.



Dept. Neurosciences - Université de Montréal
2960, Chemin de la Tour
Pavillon PG. Desmarais
Montréal, Québec, H3T 1J4
Canada

Sponsors


IRSC

GRSNC


FRSQ

FCI


UdeM

Hôpital du Sacré Coeur


FRNT

Craig Neilsen


Morton

TransMedTech


Praxis