Dr Ram Lochan Yadav
Ram’s research investigates cardiovascular autonomic regulation in individuals with cervical SCI. Attending ISCoS 2025 will enhance his research by exposing him to peer feedback, cutting-edge developments, and interdisciplinary perspectives on SCI care.
Ram shares his experiences from the conference.
The 2025 SRI Research Collaboration Grant enabled my participation in key scientific and networking activities at the ISCoS/NoSCoS meeting, including scientific sessions, poster discussions, exhibitor interactions, and structured and informal networking events such as the SRI Early Career Researcher Breakfast and grantee catch-ups. These activities provided valuable opportunities to engage with clinicians, researchers, and industry partners working across basic, translational, and clinical spinal cord injury (SCI) research.
Through this experience, I established new research connections with investigators focusing on cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, neuromodulation, and longitudinal outcomes after cervical SCI. Discussions around emerging methodologies, particularly wearable cardiovascular monitoring, advanced autonomic phenotyping, and intervention-based trial designs, directly informed my current and future research directions. I also gained practical insights into multicentre collaboration, data harmonisation, and strategies for translating physiological findings into clinically meaningful outcomes.
A major learning outcome was exposure to evolving perspectives on autonomic instability, circadian blood pressure regulation, and personalised neuromodulation approaches in SCI. Interactions with international researchers highlighted the importance of stratifying participants by injury severity and chronicity, as well as the growing emphasis on patient-centred and real-world outcome measures. These insights will shape the analytical frameworks and collaborative scope of my ongoing and future studies.
This grant made a significant difference by expanding my professional network and accelerating opportunities for collaboration beyond my immediate institution. Without this support, I would not have been able to engage so comprehensively with the global SCI research community. The opportunity strengthened my confidence as an early-career researcher, enhanced my capacity to contribute to multidisciplinary projects, and opened pathways for future joint grant applications and publications. Ultimately, this experience will benefit my research team, students, and broader SCI community by fostering collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange.
