Cord blood infusions, combined with rehabilitation like physiotherapy and occupational therapy, have been shown in clinical trials to lead to improvements in movement for children with CP. Treatments like cord blood can offer a chance for children to reach developmental milestones however is not yet approved as a treatment for CP anywhere in the world. A Phase III trial is needed to change the US landscape and Duke researchers have made this their mission.
Recently, CPA’s Cathy Morgan, a global expert in evidence based early intervention strategies, joined Madison at Duke to co-present a workshop on Early Intervention and Early Detection, promoting joint knowledge sharing with the U.S. clinical research team.
Madison and Cathy also attended the 75th Anniversary of Fulbright Australia in Washington, DC, held at the Australian Embassy, with the Hon. Dr. Kevin Rudd and Fulbright Chair, Brian Schmidt. The gathering highlighted the program’s impact and the importance of global collaboration in advancing research in CP and other disabilities.
“Over a short few months I have already seen many children receive cord blood infusions for their CP. I am inspired to bring back knowledge to Australia. I would love to see similar work happening here and we are doing everything we can to make this a reality.”
“The key to making change in this space is having our own Australian research, advocacy from families, training of medical staff and long-term funding. It’s complex to get it all right but we are committed because the evidence is promising, and families want to know the answers,” said Madison.
Madison also caught up with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF) team in Boston, attending the Remarkable Tech US Demo Day and taking part in interesting discussion topics on cell therapies, technology, advocacy and the importance of fundraising.
We are so proud of Madison – furthering her expertise and building international partnerships to drive transformative research in CP.
