This theme covers 'acquired' brain and spinal cord injuries - that is, those that occur after birth. These injuries may be traumatic, caused by an external injury to the head or spine, or non-traumatic, caused by an internal event such as a stroke.
There are an estimated 2.6 million people in the UK living with the effects of these injuries.
The degree of impairment varies enormously from person to person, but many people are left severely disabled and need long-term rehabilitation to maximise function, independence and quality of life.
We want to improve the outlook for people with acquired brain and spinal cord injuries by funding research to help understand how to protect or restore function.