On 31 March 2023 Myelopathy.org will open entries for its 2023 Research Award for best piece of research aligned with a RECODE-DCM Top 10 Research Priority:
- Raising Awareness of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy (DCM)
- Natural History
- Diagnostic Criteria
- Assessment and Monitoring
- Biological Basis
- Peri-Operative Rehabilitation
- Novel Therapies
- Socio-Economic Impact
- Imaging and Electrophysiology
- Individualising Surgery
The award (and £200 prize money!) will be given to the author of the best primary clinical study or systematic review, unpublished or published during 2021–2022. Submissions will be judged by a panel of people with DCM, Trustees and Representatives from the charity’s Scientific Advisory Board. The winner will be invited to submit a blog post for the charity and join the Myelopathy Matters Podcast Series.
Recognising that many DCM priorities lacked research activity, we initiated the Myelopathy.org Research Award last year to stimulate high-quality research focussing on the questions that matter most to people with DCM. We were delighted to attract admirable competitors from as far afield as India, China, USA and Portugal. Submissions were received in all categories except 2: Natural History and 9: Imaging and Electrophysiology. The most popular categories were 1: Raising Awareness and 7: Novel Therapies.
In 2022, the winning submission came from Dr Michael G Fehlings and coauthors in Toronto, Canada, for their paper The influence of ApoE4 on the clinical outcomes and pathophysiology of degenerative cervical myelopathy. This work aligns with Priority 5: Biological Basis of DCM. You can read more about the group’s work in our blog in which we announce the winner of the award.
Since its inception in 2019, the RECODE-DCM initiative has challenged the global DCM community to synergise their efforts into solving 10 critical questions. It is truly uplifting to know that the community is now answering that call. Together, our research will reduce the global burden of DCM. Myelopathy.org calls upon the engagement of the public, individuals with lived experience, healthcare professionals, scientists, healthcare funders and advocates and public officials to raise awareness of this important condition.
Could your research be in the running? To submit your entry, please email the following details to recode@myelopathy.org:
Cover Letter
A text file, written in English language, of no more than 500 words stating:
- Your name
- Your country
- Your place of work
- The priority with which your work aligns
- Why it is a significant contribution to the field
- Confirmation that all necessary ethical and/or regulatory approvals were obtained
- Confirmation that any collaborators are in agreement that you, the applicant, are the lead investigator and therefore eligible to be nominated for this award
Manuscript
A text file, written in English language, of no more than 3500 words, which may be a draft manuscript or a recent publication, outlining your study:
- Rationale
- Findings
- Conclusions
Submission Deadline: 1 November 2023
Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to learning more about your research!