Research & Mission
During a trip to Capitol Hill in April of 2016 advocating for NIH funding, I met surgeon scientist Dr. Sariah Khormaee MD, PhD. Now we’ve teamed up together to extend impact beyond advocacy, specifically getting women trained in research. In June of 2019 we asked social media followers to work with us on a research project, starting to define inequalities in global spine care that directly affect young women with scoliosis. It is so exciting to engage people without a research background on a subject that they are passionate about- better spine care for all! All of the young women in our pilot project were deeply affected by scoliosis but most of them did not have formal research training. The goal of this project is not only to understand more about scoliosis - but to teach young women, who are traditionally under-represented in spine research, how to apply research methodology to problems that matter to them. Joining forces and taking action for our cause has empowered our commitment to furthering progress. Our mission is to connect those with scoliosis, teach research skills, and pursue projects that both help develop the education of those working on them while improving equality of spine care globally. COVID-19 is reminding us how important science is in our lives, and we hope initiatives like this continue to prepare us worldwide for the next challenges that could affect our health.