We would be happy to answer your questions. To reach the best team member, please e-mail us at research@sai.rehab or use our contact us form. 

At SAI, our Clinician Scientists conduct research with innovative ideas to improve rehabilitation therapies for patient best outcomes.  Our current studies are listed here <link page> We also encourage people to learn how to utilize clinicaltrials.gov to find other clinical trials outside of SAI. We would be happy to orient you to this information. In addition, people with spinal cord injury may find the website scitrials.gov very helpful. 

SAI had developed a partnership with the Virginia Commonwealth University, collaborating with VCU Physical Medicine and rehabilitation and with VCU’s Center for Engineering and Rehabilitation Science.  We partner with clinicians working with the National Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems.  We also collaborate with research Clinicians working at the Richmond Veterans’ Administration Medical Center, and HDR Inc. At SAI, we are always looking for collaborators that reinvent rehabilitation.   You can find more information on our research partners here <link>.

Clinical trials are essential for researchers to find new treatments and therapies. Your participation provides researchers with information to discover new innovative treatments.  By participating in a clinical trial, you have access to new research treatments before they are widely available which may lead to improved health outcomes. 

Your clinician will discuss all health options with you so you can make an informed decision. You will continue to receive your usual health care.  Costs for conventional health care while participating in a clinical trial will be discussed with you. 

Volunteering for research is always your personal choice. Choosing whether to volunteer for research is a big decision. It is important to be well-informed, not just about the specific project you are considering volunteering for, but also to be informed about what it’s like to volunteer for research in general. The resources linked below can help you understand how human research is conducted, what you should expect, and questions you should ask.

• Becoming a research volunteer: This short pamphlet explains research, and lists some questions you may wish to ask when you are considering volunteering for research. 
• About research participation: This website from the Office of Human Research Protections (the federal agency tasked with enforcing the regulations that protect human research volunteers) has many resources to assist you. Content is available in English and Spanish. From short educational videos to lists of questions to ask, to information about the regulations that protect volunteers, this site can be very helpful to you in making an informed decision. 
• NIH Clinical Research Trials and You: This website from the National Institutes of Health offers guidance to potential research volunteers who want to join clinical trials. Clinical trials are a type of human subjects research that are designed to test new drugs, devices or other interventions intended to improve health outcomes for people. This website offers FAQs on clinical trials, guidance for parents of children who might volunteer for clinical trials and help to locate ongoing clinical trials 

Participation in a clinical trial provides specialized care and may require additional time from you.  Additional procedures outside your usual care are paid for by the research study.    Your clinician will also discuss any risks associated with participating in research.  Most risks associated with clinical trials are minor or temporary, but some participants may have complications requiring medical treatment.  While rare, research participation may cause serious or life-threatening side effects from investigational treatments. The information collected throughout the trial provides crucial insight to researchers in determining future health care opportunities for best patient outcomes. 

At SAI we conduct research compliance using the services from external Institutional Review Boards.  SAI research clinicians are trained in human subject protection and is approval to conduct research through the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).