Brain Spine Interface - Dr. Grégoire Courtine & Dr. Jocelyne Bloch

A tour de force, a dynamic duo, a powerful pair … somehow these phrases are not adequate when describing the incredible work of Dr. Grégoire Courtine and Dr. Jocelyn Bloch. Their remarkable discoveries in the field of spinal cord injury are bringing treatments to the forefront - using a brain-spine interface to facilitate movement for those living with paralysis. With the help of their dedicated team of scientists, what we once hoped for is now a reality. This is exciting stuff. Prepare to be amazed!

Dr. Jocelyne Bloch is a neurosurgeon at the University Hospital Lausanne, Switzerland, also known as CHUV, where she leads the Functional Neurosurgery Unit. Dr. Grégoire Courtine is a neuroscientist with a background in physics.

Both Dr. Bloch and Dr. Courtine are professors within the NeuroX Institute of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), within the Neurosurgical Department of CHUV, and at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lausanne (UNIL).

They co-founded the Defitech Center for Interventional Neurotherapies, named NeuroRestore, which they lead together as Co-Directors. NeuroRestore is a research, innovation, and treatment center that develops and applies bioengineering strategies involving neurosurgical interventions to restore neurological functions. https://www.neurorestore.swiss/

In 2014, Dr. Bloch and Dr. Courtine also co-founded ONWARD Medical with the aim to translate the neurotherapies developed at NeuroRestore into clinical treatments. Dr. Courtine is Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of ONWARD Medical N.V. (Euronext: ONWD). https://www.onwd.com/

They are recognized worldwide for their conception of neuroprosthetic implants that restored walking in people with chronic paralysis, the results of their research have been published in numerous articles by science and nature journals, and broadly publicized in print and broadcast media across the world.

Thank you again to both Dr. Bloch and Dr. Courtine for joining us for today's episode! This production is a collaborative effort of volunteers working to create a quality audio and visual experience around the subject of spinal cord injury. A special shout out of appreciation to Clientek for providing studio space and top-notch recording equipment. Most importantly, thank YOU for being part of the Spinal Cast audience!

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