Rick Hansen Foundation

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Opened in 2008, the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre (BSCC) is dedicated to advancing integrated research and care for people with SCI. Technologically advanced, universally accessible and designed to foster dialogue and collaboration across disciplines, the BSCC is the realization of a vision Rick Hansen articulated more than 10 years ago: that the future of SCI research and care lies in our ability to create a community of experts committed to collaborating to find solutions that improve lives today and move us closer to a cure.

The BSCC houses one of the largest and most comprehensive interdisciplinary SCI research and care programs in the world. This $45M facility brings researchers from a wide range of disciplines together with surgeons, physiotherapists and patients to discover and develop new therapies to advance both the cure and care for people with SCI. Inspired by Rick’s vision, the BSCC was established by the Rick Hansen Foundation in partnership with the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Province’s British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund. The Centre is home to the Rick Hansen Institute, ICORD (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries) and the David and Brenda McLean Integrated Spine Clinic.

An International Centre of Excellence
The BSCC cements British Columbia’s, and Canada’s, reputation as a world leader in the SCI field. A local, national and international hub of thought leadership, best practices development and dissemination, and information sharing, the BSCC is accelerating progress by bringing the field’s best minds together, regardless of their physical locations.

Dr. Stewart and Mrs. Marilyn Blusson
The BSCC was named in recognition of philanthropists Dr. Stewart and Mrs. Marilyn Blusson’s support of the collaborative vision behind the BSCC, and their contribution to making this dream a reality. Dr. Blusson graduated with a science degree from UBC in 1960 and received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964. After 15 years doing field work with the Geological Survey of Canada he left to pursue his dream of discovering diamonds. This led to his co-discovery of diamond deposits and the creation of the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Yukon.

The Future Is Bright for People with SCI
The BSCC is now playing a major role in refocusing research according to the real-life priorities of people with SCI; accelerating the pace of discoveries; and ensuring that people with SCI experience better care, functional outcomes, independence and opportunities throughout their lifetimes.