Research
Grants Awarded

Since 1994, the SRS, in conjunction with OREF and the Cotrel Foundation and with support from the National Scoliosis Foundation and Scoliosis Association, has provided more than $1.7 million for spinal deformity research projects. Your contribution to the SRS Research Endowment Fund through OREF can help fund even more.

1994
Jeffrey Spivak, MD
Bioactive Cement Augmentation of Transpedicular Screw Fixation
$49,975 - 1 year

1995
Nancy Hadley Miller, MD
Genetic Anaylsis of Etiologic Factors of AIS
$34,957 - over 2 years

Steven K. Salzman, PhD Surgical & Pharmacological Treatment of Acute Spinal Cord Injury $59,911 - over 2 years

1996
Ian Stokes, PhD
Rationalized Patient Specific Design of Surgery for Spinal Deformity
$42,000 - over 2 years

1997
Nancy Hadley Miller, MD
Genetic Analysis of Etiologic Factors of AIS
$30,000 - 1 year

Thomas Lowe, MD
Multicenter Longitudinal Study of Platelet Calmodulin Levels in AIS
$10,000 - 1 year
$19,926 - 2 years

Carol Wise, PhD
Identification of a Gene Involved in Hereditary Idiopathic Scoliosis
$33,700 - 2 years

1998
Nancy Hadley Miller, MD
Genetic Anaylsis of Etiologic Factors of AIS
$50,000 - 2 years

John A. Szivek, PhD
Monitoring Spinal Fusion in Scoliosis Patients: A Biomechanical & In Vivo Study
$54,000 - 2 years

Jack Engsberg, PhD
Comparison of Outcome Measures in Adult Scoliosis Patients Undergoing an Extended Spinal Fusion to L5 or Sacrum or Revision of Previous Long Spinal Deformity Fusion
$80,308 - 3 years

William A. Vannah
Longitudinal Study of Balance & Other Factors in AIS
$10,887.50 - 2 years

1999
Jack C.Y. Cheng, MD
The Loss of Synchronous Coupling of Endochrondral and Membranous Ossification in AIS: The Morphological and Biological
Evidences
$35,400 - 1 year

James O. Sanders, MD
A Determination of Maturity in Girls with Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Pilot Study
$48,252 - 2 years

2000
Keith Bagnall, PhD
The Relationship Between Serum Melatonin & Growth Hormone in Pinealectomy Model
$14,250.00 - 2 years

Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, MD
w/ Dr. Raymond Clarke
Developmental Basis of the Klippel-Feil Syndrome
$60,000 - 3 years

Frances Farley, MD
Prediction of Curve Progression in Congenital Scoliosis Using a Mouse Model
$44,926 - 2 years

Carol A. Wise, PhD
Localization of a Gene for Susceptibility To Idiopathic Scoliosis
$36,066.50 - 2 years

Nancy Hadley Miller, MD
Genetic Linkage of Familial Idiopathic Scoliosis - A Complex Orthopaedic Disorder
$50,000 - 2 years

Thomas Lowe, MD
Platelet Calmodulin Levels in AIS: A Predictor of Curve Progression and Severity
$42,070 - 2 years

2001
Jack C.Y. Cheng, MD
Relationship between Postural Balance, Somatosensory Evoked Potential and the Progression of Scoliotic Deformity in the AIS
$70,800 - 2 years (Cotrel)

2002
Carol Wise, PhD
Localization & Analysis of Candidate Genes of Idiopathic Scoliosis
$36,666.50 - 2 years (Cotrel)

2003
Jack. C.Y. Cheng
Are VDR, Era and PTHR1 Genes Associated With The Occurrence as well As Abnormality In Bone Growth And Sexual Maturation In Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
$70,800 - 2 years

John Kostuik, MD
Adult Onset of Scoliosis: Relationship between Osteoporosis and Deformity
$30,000 - 2 years

Matthew Dobbs, MD
Idiopathic Scoliosis: Gene Mapping Identification
$47,177 (Cotrel)

2004
Philip Giampietro, MD, PhD
Mutation Analysis is Human Congenital Scoliosis and Vertebral Malformations
$77,077 - 2 years

Carol Wise, PhD
Localization and Analysis of Candidate Genes for Idiopathic Scoliosis
$50,000 - 2 years

Ralph Marcucio, PhD
A Comparison of the Expressions of Malatonin, Calmodulin and 5-HT4 in Paravertebral Muscle and Platelets of Patients with our without Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
$50,000 - 2 years (Cotrel)

2005
Kenneth Cheung, MD
Surface Modification of Nitinol by Plama Immersion ION Implantation
$100,000 - 2 years

Robin Patel, MD
Biofilms and Spinal Instrumentation
$99,850 - 2 years

Alf Nachemson, MD, PhD
A Continuation of the "SRS Study for Brace Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis" - Follow-up of the Swedish Patients at Least 10 Years After Maturity
$47, 020 - 2 years

Brian Snyder, MD, PhD
How does VEPTR Affect Pulmonary Function: An In-vivo Assessment using the Rabbit Scoliosis Model
$34,408 - 1 year

Stefan Parent, MD, PhD
Analysis of Local 3-D Measurements of the Curve as Predictive Factors for Curve Progression in AIS
$25,000 - 1 year

Francis Shen, MD
Can We Eliminate the Need for Autologous Bone Graft Harvest? The Use of Multipotential Adipose-derived Stromal Cells in an Activated Matrix for Posterolateral Spinal Fusions
$25,000 - 1 year

Andrew Merola, MD
Association between an Aggrecan Gene Polymorphism and AIS
$10,000 - 1 year

Anthony Florschutz. MD
Experimental Scoliosis Using Vertebral Body Implanted Magnets in an Immature Goat Model
$10,000 - 1 year

Stefan Parent, MD, PhD
Growth Modulation of the Chest Case in a Pre-Natal Ovine Model: A Preliminary Study
$10,000 - 1 year

Andrew Mahar, MS
How Does Increasing Curve Magnitude in Scoliotic Deformity Affect the Biomechanics of the Spine with Implications Toward Curve Correction?
$10,000 - 1 year

Donita Bylski-Austrow, PhD
Mechanbiology of Growth: In-Vivo Growth Plate Pressures
$10,000 - 1 year

Felix Breden, BA, MSc, PhD
The Guppy 'Curveback' Mutant as a Model for Spinal Deformity
$10,000 - 1 year

Jack C.Y. Cheng, MD
Abnormal Differential Longitudinal Growth of Vertebral Column and Spinal Cord in AIS - A Morphological and Functional Study
$77,000 (Cotrel)

Brian K. Kwon, MD, PHD, FRCSC
Neuroprotection for Acute Spinal Cord Injury: The Preclinical Evaluation of Drugs That Are Currently Used in Human Non-Spinal Applications
$24,881.60 - 2 years

2006
Carol Wise, PhD
Identification of Genetic Susceptibility in Idiopathic Scoliosis
$19,000 - 2 years

Shane Burch, MD FRCSC
The Role of Hypoxic Stress on the Vertebral Growthplates of the Developing Spine and its Potential Role in Pathogenesis of Scoliosis
$10,000 - 1 year

Vedat Deviren, MD
The Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) for Spinal Disorders: Finding the Threshold of Clinically Significant Change
$24,996 - 1 year

2007
Jeffrey Shilt, MD & Peter Apel, MD
Temporary unilateral paraspinal muscle paralysis on the prevention and progression of scoliosis: Investigation in a chicken model
$9,740

Mohammed Diab, MD
Comparison of Extended-Release Epidural Morphine, Patient-Controlled Epidural Analgesia and Patient-Controlled Intravenous Analgesia for Postoperative Pain after Posterior Spinal fusion in Adolescents
$24,245

Frank Schwab, MD
Adult Deformity: Development of an Effective Treatment Algorithm Based upon Outcomes Analysis
$50,000 – 2 years

John Lonstein, MD
Long-term Function Outcomes of Early Fusions for Congenital Scoliosis
$75,450 – 2 years

Michael Vitale, MD
CT Analysis of Pedicle Screw Placement in Pediatric Patients
$20,595 – 1 year

Vidyadhar Upasani, MD
The Effect of Increasing Construct Rigidity on Intervertebral Disc Health: A Pilot Study in a Porcine Anterior Spinal Growth Modulation Model
$10,000– 1 year

Xudong Li, MD
Nucleus Pulposus Regeneration with Genetically Engineered Fat-derived Stem Cells
$50,000 – 2 years

Josh Auerbach, MD and John P. Dormans, MD
An in vivo Porcine Animal Model to Detect Spinal Cord Vascular Flow in Spinal Deformity Surgery using Transcranial Motor Evoked Potential Monitoring
$10,000 – 1 year

The Scoliosis Research Society provides information on these web pages regarding research and links as a public service. The SRS believes that patients should contact their treating physician about the relevance of any information listed on the site prior to proceeding with any particular treatment. Just as no two individuals are exactly alike, no two patients with a spinal deformity are the same. Therefore, your spinal deformity surgeon will be the most important source of information about the management of your particular spinal problem.