In 1985, Barth A. Green, M.D., world-renowned neurosurgeon, and Nick Buoniconti, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker, joined forces and founded The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis after Nick’s son, Marc, sustained a spinal cord injury during a college football game. Since then, research at The Miami Project has changed the landscape of knowledge and therapeutic strategies for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.
The Miami Project, a Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, is considered one of the premier research programs conducting cutting-edge discovery, translational and clinical investigations. Researchers are developing new treatments for traumatic spinal cord and brain injury, peripheral nerve injury and neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, and Alzheimer’s disease. The Miami Project’s international team of over 175 scientists, researchers, clinicians and support staff is dedicated to improving the quality of life and, ultimately, finding a cure for paralysis. Miami Project researchers are currently conducting clinical studies and trials in spinal cord injury, including testing neuroprotective strategies, cellular therapies using Schwann cell and stem cell transplantation and advanced rehabilitation and neuromodulation approaches including the use of brain machine interface technologies. Other areas of current research include drug discovery for axonal regeneration and immune modulation, neuropathic pain, male fertility and cardiovascular disorders.
A message from our President, Marc Buoniconti
Dear Miami Project and Buoniconti Fund friends and supporters:
The Miami Project has thrived over the past year with steady research advancements and novel clinical programs, all of which continue to change people’s lives.
Our Scientific Director, Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich, Co-Founder, Dr. Barth A. Green and our neuroscience research team showed up with incredible determination and worked tirelessly and steadily despite the challenges we all experienced during these pandemic days. The Buoniconti Fund team came together stronger than ever to raise funds in the new world of virtual communication.
The Miami Project was co-founded in 1985 by internationally recognized spinal cord injury (SCI) expert, Barth A. Green, M.D. and three families who had experienced SCI firsthand.
Business people Don Misner and Beth Roscoe were early supporters of Green’s efforts. Joining them following the injury of his son, Marc, was NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti.
Committed to finding a cure for paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury and to seeing millions worldwide walk again, the Buoniconti family established The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis in 1992. The Buoniconti Fund is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise funds and awareness to help The Miami Project achieve its primary focus; to repair and restore function to the injured and diseased nervous system, thereby improving the quality of life to patients throughout the world.
Each year, our team produces a video that shows the progress The Miami Project has made in the past year. This video is intended to inform and inspire our friends and donors on the amazing and incredibly encouraging things going on each and every day at The Miami Project.
The Miami Project hosts multiple lectures and seminars throughout the year providing opportunities to present research as well as learn from renowned neuroscientists from around the world all to promote education and collaboration. All are held in the James K. Batten Apex enter and Auditorium located in the Lois Pope LIFE Center, 7th floor beginning at 12 noon.
A new era of rehabilitative care has dawned with the opening of the state-of-the-art Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, dedicated to giving patients back their lives.
The stunning 250,000 square foot, nine-story structure on the Jackson Memorial Medical Campus houses 80 inpatient beds and features world-class amenities and next-generation rehabilitation technology.
Barth A. Green, M.D.
CHAIRMAN AND CO-FOUNDER
W. Dalton Dietrich, III, Ph.D.
SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR
Allan D. Levi, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.
CLINICAL DIRECTOR