Ellie Bulson: Spinal Cord Injury Research, Week One

Hello! My name is Ellie Bulson and I am currently a student at Telluride High School. For the past week, I have been interning in Louisville, Kentucky, studying neuro recovery in relation to spinal cord injuries. Up until July 28th, I will be working with a team at the Kosair Charities Center for Pediatric Neurorecovery that is attempting to validate inertial measurement units (IMU)  for children. In just one week I have learned an insane amount of information and already gotten to know so many amazing people.

I arrived in Louisville on Saturday the 16th, scared out of my mind. I had received some reading and training but I was worried that there was just too much information and too little time but, when I arrived on Monday all my anxieties melted away. The people welcomed me with open arms and open hearts and were just as excited to have me as I was to be there. They gave me reading upon reading in order to get me prepared for the six weeks ahead. Slowly I began to get a better understanding of the exact work I would be doing and I loved it! Not only did I get work with kids but I also got to be part of a research team that was working on something I found fascinating. I got my own little cubicle that was filled with toys where I would begin to do all my readings and plan for the research study ahead.

After some pretty extensive reading and a good look at the experimental procedure, I got a good look at what we were actually attempting to validate. Inertial Measurement Units or IMUs track movement using sensors placed on the body. The idea is that the motion sensors are portable and easy to use on children, as opposed to camera systems that had to be installed and often proved hard to use on kids with severe injuries due to the need of another person assisting them. Our goal is that by the end of my six-week stay we will have enough data to validate the IMU system (Xsens) for children. The team I work with consists of two research techs, Nick and Laura, one grad student in exercise physiology, Gotem, and one other intern, Mahima. Our lab consists of a set of monitors, a treadmill, and a small bed, shown below (feat. Nick and Laura).

Not only did I get to work on IMU validation but when I was not reading, training, or conducting experiments I was able to sit in on physical therapy sessions and learn just how recovery is achieved. A major principle at the Kentucky Spinal Cord Research Center is that science = hope and we should be working towards recovery, not compensation. In order to achieve this, they work with kids on Active Therapy which involves putting the kids into a harness, over a treadmill, and proceeding to move their legs to mimic steps. The idea is that the spinal cord has a sort of plasticity, meaning the neurons surrounding it can be retrained to create movement without needing direct input from the brain. This idea stems from the genius mind of Andrea Behrman, the head of my department, and has now spread to Neurorecovery centers around the world due to its effectiveness. Below is a picture of the treadmill set up in the adult lab which is almost identical to the children’s but much bigger and with far fewer stickers.

When I wasn’t working or studying I was spending time exploring Louisville and hanging out with my host family and fellow intern Noah Rainer. My host family, consisting of Brigid, David and their sons, Graham (5) and Angus (2) were an absolute delight from the beginning. When Noah and I first arrived in the humid city of Louisville we were greeted by Brigid and Graham who had made a sign welcoming us to our temporary home.

From there we met Angus, David, and their Au Pair, Mandy. Everyone was undeniably welcoming and kind and was ready to show us around the city. The very first day we got to attend a house show that Brigid was playing, out in “horse country” and got a first-hand experience of the Southern charm we would come to know and love. The second day we went to a swimming pool that was inside an old quarry and it was absolutely delightful and very effective in cooling off us Colorado girls. Throughout the week we’ve gotten to see more and more of the city and are only finding more amazing things to do. Not to mention, on Friday the city of Louisville put on a “Celebration of Interns” that we got to attend. They supplied us with food, free tickets baseball tickets, and most excitingly, a chance to meet the mayor!

(Noah, Mahima, and I with the Mayor)

Overall, my first week has been irrefutably exciting and unquestionably exciting! I am confident it will only get better from here and I am beyond excited for what’s to come.