Our team of scientists, researchers, clinicians and staff work tirelessly to achieve extraordinary scientific progress in our quest to find a cure for paralysis.
The Education department provides information about research programs, clinical studies, resources for living with paralysis, rehabilitation resources, clinical care referrals, and advice on worldwide investigational treatments and research. They also offer educational tours, lectures and additional outreach events to promote scientific awareness.
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis was co-founded by Barth A. Green, M.D., world -renowned neurosurgeon, and Nick Buoniconti, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker after Nick’s son, Marc, sustained a spinal cord injury during a college football game.
Research at The Miami Project has changed the landscape of knowledge and therapeutic strategies for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.
Committed to finding a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury and to seeing millions worldwide walk again, the Buoniconti family established The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis in 1992. The Buoniconti Fund is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise funds and awareness to help The Miami Project achieve its primary focus; to repair and restore function to the injured and diseased nervous system, thereby improving the quality of life to patients throughout the world.
Jae Lee, Ph.D.
The Miami Project presents Meet the Researcher, a periodic video series where each video introduces a new researcher. We will hear from the brilliant up and coming scientists and researchers that are part of The Miami Project’s dynamic international team.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery
Neuroinflammation and neuro-immune interactions in neurological disease
Scientific Director
Neuroprotection and Improved Recovery of Function following Brain and Spinal Cord Injury
Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery
Developing Novel Therapies for Traumatic Brain Injury
PARALYSIS DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.
Watch our stories of hope and inspiration from a few of our researchers and participants as they live and fight paralysis.
Dr. Deena Cilien, DPT, PT, is a graduate of the University of Miami's top-ranked clinical physical therapy program and currently works as one of our resident neuro physical therapists, specializing in spinal cord injury.
I chose to participate because I think it's pretty neat being part of finding a cure for something that is so big and affects so many lives.
I first fell in love with The Miami Project in 1986, while volunteering as one of the first research participants. I continue to return to participate in studies.
I suffered a spinal cord injury in 1983. The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis really made a difference in my life.
Jerrod, was paralyzed in a car accident on his way to work a few years ago. He was left a T-12 paraplegic as a result of the incident.
Faces of Paralysis subject, Jazzmin, was diagnosed as a teenager with Neuromyelitis optica which occurs when immune system cells and antibodies attack the optic nerves and the spinal cord.
Richard was paralyzed as a result of a motorcycle accident on the way home that left him with a C-2 incomplete injury.
As part of June's recovery process at The Miami Project, she has been participating in research training programs to improve outcomes for individuals with spinal cord injury.
The Buoniconti Fund’s 38th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner, presented by The Tudor Group and The Mack family, is set for Monday, October 16th at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, New York.
Music icon, philanthropist, eight-time Grammy Award Winner and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Gloria Estefan, whose connection to The Buoniconti Fund dates back more than three decades when she suffered a severe spinal cord injury in a tour bus accident, is the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event.
Dr. Jae Lee received outstanding news that his RM1 Interdisciplinary Team Science Grant will be funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke which is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The proposal entitled “Targeting cell-type specific disease phenotypes to promote CNS repair” is a collaboration between Drs. Nagi Ayad at Georgetown (cancer biology), KiBum Lee at Rutgers (nanobiotechnology), and Jae Lee at UM (spinal cord injury).
The project will develop a novel drug discovery platform that uses single cell RNAseq datasets to identify compounds that can potentially reverse cell-type specific disease signatures and use advanced drug delivery systems to target these specific cell types at the spinal cord injury site.
W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D., Scientific Director of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and Professor of Neurological Surgery has received the National Institute of Health Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award for demonstrating scientific excellence and productivity in neurological research. The Javits Award recognizes investigators with a distinguished record of substantial contributions to neurological science.