Kessler Foundation has received more than $718,000 in grant funding from the Craig Neilsen Foundation. The funding, comprised of five grants, supports a variety of rehabilitation research projects in spinal cord injury (SCI), including pain management, functional outcomes, quality of life, and factors affecting cognitive function.
Amanda Botticello, PhD, MPH, research scientist, was awarded a two-year grant for $284,012 for ‘Role of the Built Environment in Quality of Life for Adults with SCI.’ Research shows that where people live is important to health and well-being. For persons with SCI, characteristics of neighborhoods and communities may be particularly important to quality of life. The physical features of communities, known as the built environment, refer to the way communities are structured in terms of housing, roads, services, and green space. This study explores the relationship between the physical features of communities and quality of life after SCI.
Denise Fyffe, PhD, research scientist, and Dr. Botticello received a one-year grant for $85,341 for ‘Explaining Disparities in Functional Outcomes Associated with Quality of Life in SCI.’ Functional disparities are negative outcomes that can impose an additional burden on the readjustment to life with a disability during and after rehabilitation among underserved groups. Previous research indicates that the relationship between race/ethnicity and functional outcomes is not well understood in the SCI population. This study examines the association between socioeconomic indicators and health risk behaviors on functioning and whether these factors are valid explanations for functional disparities that affect quality of life among racially/ethnically diverse groups with SCI.