Scientific Advisory Board

SMSR is a proud member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and follows its best practice standards for peer review, ensuring that decisions on research funding are made in a fair and transparent way.

Dr Joost van Middendorp, Medical Research Liaison Europe at Argenx, Belgium

Chair of the SAB

Dr Joost van Middendorp currently works as a Medical Research Liaison for argenx, a Belgium-based biotech company.

Back in 2007, Dr van Middendorp graduated in Medicine from Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He was then offered a position as a PhD-student in clinical spinal trauma research at the Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, the Netherlands. After three years of work, Dr van Middendorp received his PhD degree, cum laude, for his thesis on the prognosis and classification of spinal column and spinal cord injuries. Afterwards he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Queensland University of Technology and the department of Traumatology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane in Australia. During this time, he completed his Masters in Clinical Epidemiology, which was awarded with high distinction. In March 2012, Dr van Middendorp became the first research director of Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research. He was a senior research fellow of the Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford, UK. In 2015, Dr van Middendorp started working in the biopharmaceutical sector where he led Medical Affairs activities for Pfizer, Sobi and currently argenx.

In his early career, Dr van Middendorp published a number of studies in renowned journals, including The Lancet, and has been awarded over £1m worth of research grants from both national and international competitive funding bodies.

John Clegg (Patient Representative)

John’s contribution to the panel lies with his first hand experience of spinal cord injury (Cervical C6/7 complete lesion and manual wheelchair user) and his strong belief that there can be great fulfilment after injury by adapting and embracing new challenge. As with many SCI he had an accident while pursuing an active lifestyle (climbing aged 21) but takes positives from the experience of two quite distinct lifestyles. The early years provided him with balance, perspective and the value of physical challenge, while post-accident the realisation that he could still work full time as a director of a small business while simultaneously embarking on a quite unexpected journey of learning and scientific research. This began with a 1st class degree in mathematical physics courtesy of the Open University while maintaining a good social life where he met his loving and supportive wife. He then gained a PhD from UMIST in theoretical physics in relation to a prototype fusion device followed by some academic research modelling the Solar Corona using satellite data. His subsequent career was as a Senior Research Scientist and theory and modelling specialist working for a large company in the domain of naval non-acoustic platform signatures and ocean physics. These studies were multidisciplinary and involved state-of-the-art solutions. Following his retirement at 60 he began a new journey of learning, currently neuroscience and biological sciences, but has also increased his outdoor and physical activities. John believes that the best path through SCI is to adapt, as his journey has perhaps shown, but a little help from progressive research is always welcome to broaden possibilities and to reduce constraints. He is only too aware of the particular problems that may face SCI: usually metabolic control, the scope to improve or maintain motor or sensory function, syringomelia, pressure ulcers and neuropathic pain. It is here that SMSR is aiming to make a difference through their support for promising new avenues of research. John is then delighted to be invited onto the SAB and the opportunity to highlight proposals that are particularly enabling for the SCI community. Furthermore, given his background in science he also looks forwards to learning directly from the panel of experts.

Christa Dyson, (Patient Representative)
Trustee, Spinal Injuries Association, UK

Christa has 29 years lived experience as an incomplete tetraplegic following a spinal stroke whilst then living in The Netherlands.  She is an unsteady walker but has no hand function. She has a background as a Biologist and industry research experience. For the past nine years she has been a trustee for the Spinal Injuries Association. She mentored for the Back Up Trust for over nine years. Most recently she has become a Research Champion for the National Institute of Health Research. She has had close links with Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research having been a patient representative for the research priority setting partnership work undertaken with the James Lind Alliance.  She has a keen interest in promoting research as may improve the quality of life of those living with a spinal cord injury and is delighted to be invited as a patient representative for the Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr Mariel Purcell, Consultant in Spinal Injuries, Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Glasgow, UK

Dr Mariel Purcell MB BCh BAO MRCGP FRCP graduated from University College Dublin in 1997, her postgraduate training was in Aberdeen, Glasgow  and Inverness, she took up post as Consultant in Spinal Injuries at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit (QENSIU), Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow in February 2007.  She is Lead Clinician of QENSIU, an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in the University of Glasgow, Director of Research of the Scottish Centre for Innovation in Spinal Cord Injury and NRS Senior Research Fellow, CSO, Scotland. Her research profile can be viewed on https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mariel_Purcell

Mr Pradeep Thumbikat, Consultant in Spinal Injuries, Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, Sheffield, UK 

Pradeep is a Consultant in Spinal Injuries at The Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre in Sheffield.  Following an initial period of training in Orthopaedics, he moved into the filed of spinal cord injury rehabilitation, undertaking specialist training in Sheffield.  He started as a Consultant in 2006.  He has been involved with several portfolio studies.  Areas of special interest include tetraplegic upper limb, pressure ulcer management and paediatric spinal cord injury.

Dr Giorgio Scivoletto, Coordinator Spinal Cord Unit, Foundation Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy

Giorgio Scivoletto (Neurologist, Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, PhD in Advanced Technology in Rehabilitation Medicine) is the Coordinator of the Spinal Cord Unit within the Neurorehabilitation Clinical Unit A and the Head of the Spinal Rehabilitation (SpiRe)  Lab within the same unit. He authored more than 100 papers published on indexed journals (H index=33), several book chapters and contributions to conferences. He serves as reviewer for several indexed journals and is member of the Editorial Board of Spinal Cord. He has been involved in several national and international research projects. His research is focused on the study of the outcomes of spinal cord injury patients and of the evaluation scales for these patients. He is the Chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Spinal Cord Society and the Vice-President of the Italian Spinal Cord Society (SIMS).

Sue Paddison, Clinical Specialist and Lead Physiotherapist in Spinal Cord Injuries, London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, Stanmore, UK

Sue commenced her NHS post as Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist and Team Lead, in the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre (LSCIC) at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Trust (RNOH), Stanmore in 1993.

She has extensive experience working with adults and children with spinal cord injury, from the acute stage immediately post injury through the early rehabilitation and onto reintegration back into the community. Sue is a member of the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre Research Strategy Team. She was past Chair of the UK & Eire-Spinal Cord Injury Therapy leads.

Sue is Honorary Clinical Teaching Fellow for University College London and lectures on several Masters and professional post graduate courses for multi-disciplinary professionals. She has lectured nationally and internationally, as well as presenting papers and posters at conferences and national meetings. She is a clinical educator and has been an examiner for MSc respiratory and neuro-physiotherapy students. Sue has written chapters in several Neurological Physiotherapy textbooks and contributed to other texts. She has participated in and been Primary Investigator for several studies, including currently an NIHR adopted international multi-centre study. Her specialist interest is in the use of Functional Electrical Stimulation in restoration of function.

Sue is a member of many international and national clinical interest groups to support her specialist role.