Partners

Swiss Paraplegic Research

Swiss Paraplegic Research (SPR) is a private, non-profit research organization funded by the Swiss federal government, the Canton of Lucerne and the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation. The total staff is 50-60 researchers. It is the mission of SPR to sustainably improve the situation of people with paraplegia or tetraplegia in a long-term perspective through clinical and interdisciplinary research. The areas that are aimed to be improved are functioning, social integration, equality of opportunity, health, self-determination and quality of life. It is the proclaimed goal of SPR to promote the study of health from a holistic point of view, by focusing on the ‘lived experience’ of persons with health conditions and their particular interaction with society. SPR therefore established a research network for rehabilitation research from a comprehensive perspective on a national and international level. This network will make it possible to practically apply the latest research findings in order to provide the best possible care and reintegration for people with paraplegia or tetraplegia. The SPR is a research institute which is funded by and entirely owned by the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation (SPS). The premises and laboratories are located in the Guido A. Zäch Institute (GZI) which is next to the Swiss Paraplegic Center (SPZ) in Nottwil.) SPR is itself a PhD- awarding educational institutions, but is also formally affiliated with the University of Lucerne, and administratively linked to the Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy at the University. This affiliation directly benefits EUROSHIP by linking with staff and PhD students who engage in interdisciplinary health research at the Department, including economists, health systems and service researchers, health law and policy. The Department includes the Center for  Rehabilitation in Global Health Systems that engages in international research and implementation in the rehabilitation policy space. The Center is also the home of an official WHO Collaborating Center in Rehabilitation and Global Health Systems. EUROSHIP will accordingly benefit from the close link to WHO and its worldwide networks of researchers and policy developers.

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Jerome Bickenbach, PhD, LL.B

Disability Policy and Implementation Unit Co-lead, Swiss Paraplegic Research Steering Committee member, ICF Research Branch of WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications in German Professor, Department of Health Sciences & Health Policy at the University of Lucerne; Coordinator, WHO Collaboration Centre for Rehabilitation in Global Health Systems Dr.Jerome Bickenbach is Professor Emeritusat Queen’s University, Canada and Visiting Professor at the University of Lucerne. He is the author of several books and articles on disability law and policy, epidemiology and ageing. From Disability to Practice (2018) is a collection of essays on his work.Since 1995 he has been a consultant with the World Health Organization (WHO) working on drafting, testing and implementation of the ICF,and continues to consult with WHO on international disability social policy. As a lawyer, Prof. Bickenbach was a human rights litigator, specializing in anti-discrimination for persons with intellectual impairments and mental illness.