Feb. 24, 2020
A league of his own
It鈥檚 a well-known fact in medical research that major advances are time consuming and require dedication. On average, it takes roughly 17 years to see research evidence reach the clinic.
Well, that was a little too long for Dr. Aaron Phillips, primary investigator and lab director at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. He and his team recently re-purposed a neurostimulator for spinal cord injury patients with cardiovascular disorders, allowing them to regain function. To date, he and his team鈥攁 veritable who鈥檚 who of world-leading post docs and clinicians鈥攈ave proven the technology. Oh, and they did it in 27 months.
Since arriving at the Libin Institute in September 2018, Phillips has made it a point to make a dramatic shift toward patient-centred outcomes. He is in the process of launching a clinical trial into the potential therapy.
鈥淧eople not familiar with spinal cord injury often focus on a person in a wheelchair, and we think they want to get out of that wheelchair as their primary goal,鈥 he says. 鈥淗owever, there are huge hidden clinical consequences for these patients that they鈥檒l rank well above walking again.鈥
Those concerns range from bladder, bowel and sexual function to cardiovascular stability and a consistent blood pressure Thanks to the neurostimulator, the common issue of orthostatic hypotension, or extremely low blood pressure, Phillips is starting to see major improvements in patients鈥 health.
The device works by sending electrical currents to cells within the sympathetic nervous system, re-activating cardiovascular functions, and, as a result, transforming patients鈥 lives in radical fashion.
鈥淲ith this technology we鈥檝e raised the ceiling,鈥 says Phillips. 鈥淲e鈥檝e changed where people with spinal cord injuries can get to during recovery, and we don鈥檛 know how high the ceiling is. People are moving after decades of being chronically paralyzed. Their blood pressure is now stable so they can be upright without feeling lightheaded. How far we can take them? We don鈥檛 know yet.鈥
Phillips鈥 dedication and ingenuity has directly generated approximately $2 million in funding since 2017. In addition, his research is published in high-ranking medical journals such as Neurology and JAMA Neurology.
He also founded a company, StimSherpa Inc., to both increase the speed of regulatory approval and scalability when spinal cord patients are implanted with the device.
With a passion for interdisciplinary co-operation to achieve greater patient outcomes, Phillips has a distinctly 'we not me' approach in his lab.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 work in silos, we work together,鈥 he says, adding he has partnered with other health institutes at the Cumming School of Medicine, including the Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health.
鈥淭o work across the translational spectrum, you need buy-in from people living with the condition, their families, the physicians providing direct care and the institutes. Libin is uniquely collaborative.鈥
Dr. Paul Fedak, MD, PhD, the director of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute, is impressed.
Despite working with Phillips for less than one year, he already knows his lab is going to be making medical advances that will be discussed for years to come.
鈥淣ot only can he see the big picture, he can manage the fine details,鈥 says Fedak. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 someone very special who will do groundbreaking science and change the world. That person is Aaron. The high-quality work that he is doing will soon get the attention of the world.鈥
Phillips conservatively estimates that within 10 years neurostimulator implants will become standard care for people with spinal cord injury, a time line he is keen to shrink.
鈥淭he reason why I dedicated my career to medical research was to make discoveries that would rapidly improve health on a population scale,鈥 he says.
鈥淭o be able to do that is what makes me want to do this every day. I don鈥檛 even consider what I do a job. It鈥檚 really a passion as opposed to a job.鈥