Dr. Karim Fouad on Rebuilding the Nervous System, like Rebars in Concrete Louise sits down with Dr. Karim Fouad, Canada Research Chair in Spinal Cord Injury and Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta, who has spent 35 years asking why the spinal cord refuses to heal. He traces that failure back to evolutionary logic — in the Stone Age, a broken spine meant death, and nature had no reason to build a repair mechanism. That ancient calculus, he argues, is still the inheritance the SCI community is fighting. Dr. Fouad describes the nervous system's complexity using the image of rebars in concrete — connections so structurally critical that meddling with them carries real risk. He takes direct aim at a recent Lancet Neurology paper claiming intensive training for complete spinal cord injured folks offers no benefit beyond standard care, arguing the article dangerously miscites his own work and ignores the cascading benefits of exercise on blood pressure, bone density, autonomic function, and mental health. He's fighting back — for his science, for animal research, and for the SCI patients whose futures are potentially harmed by a bad headline. Study: Fecal transplant prevents gut dysbiosis and anxiety-like behaviour after spinal cord injury in rats: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0226128 Learn more about Dr. Fouad's work here: https://www.neuro-recovery-lab.com/karim-fouad Have an idea or feedback for me? Email me, at louise@blinkofaneye.org #BeginAgain #HopeforEverything Be part of supporting BLINK of an Eye nonprofit as we support SCI families in crisis and advance science. Give $25 today! www.BLINKofaneye.org Stay Connected: Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone interested in advocacy for SCI funding! BLINK of an Eye® Podcast is sponsored by BLINK of an Eye® Non-Profit: A non-profit which is an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injury, originating the first SCI Navigator Program in the country for newly injured SCI Families by SCI Families as an essential national resource for Spinal Cord Injured families in the first days, weeks and months of SCI crisis when life turns upside down and few medical teams in the US have SCI expertise or lived experience. They bring essential support, connections, life expertise and resources. BLINK of an Eye non profit deploys a rapid response HEAL Team for ICU bedside support to create an Extraordinary Experience despite the devastation for SCI families and a personal SCI Navigator for 24/7 support in the first 90 days and throughout the Miracle Year. BLINK of an Eye non profit also provides a Multidisciplinary Wrap Around Team and SCI Expert Medical Panel. Stay tuned for their launch of a National Digital Resource Library, the SCI PLAYBOOK, chocked full of essential SCI information and trauma informed responses for the first hours, days and months after injury. To find out more, get involved, or make a donation, visit www.BLINKofaneye.org. Blink of an Eye is sponsored by Baltimore Mediation: To find out more about cutting edge conflict transformation skills courses to learn relational conflict theory and advocacy, mediation, crisis and trauma interventions and support for leaders and anyone navigating or facilitating difficult situations, conflict, or trauma, visit the website www.BaltimoreMediation.com and register for nationally certified 40 hour courses, including the Enneagram of personality for mediators to know themselves to stay neutral while offering opportunity for other’s empowerment. To find out more about Louise visit: www.BlinkofanEye.org, www.BaltimoreMediation.com, www.BeingRelational.com
