WHO WE ARE
The Michael Hannagan Foundation (MHF) is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to assisting cutting-edge research into solutions to spinal cord injury. We raise money to help fund medical professionals and scientists who show the most promise to create near-term benefits through their work and who will best utilize the money that we are able to contribute. MHF believes in supporting clinical trials and the personnel and equipment needed to conduct them.
Our practical approach provides the building blocks needed for extraordinary professionals to spend less time raising money and more time focused on what they do best.
WHY MEDICAL RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS
NEED OUR SUPPORT
Anecdotal evidence reveals that even the most promising researchers spend far too much time writing grant applications and pursuing other ways to raise money. These professionals are forced to waste an extraordinary number of hours writing about their ideas, while receiving positive funding results only about 5% of the time. Our finest medical minds should not be distracted by fundraising, when they could be busy creating medical breakthroughs. Moreover, medical research is making amazing strides in the quest to cure spinal cord injuries. Chief among the recent advances is electrical stimulation and the implantation of spinal stimulators.
Watch video below to learn about
amazing spinal cord research
MHF SUPPORTS DR. DANIEL LU AT UCLA
Dr. Lu
Dr. Lu’s innovative research with implanted spinal stimulators offers promising solutions to spinal cord injury.
Dr. Lu is a recognized leader in the field of spinal cord science. He combines the unique qualities of a researcher, clinician and neurosurgeon. More importantly, Dr. Lu is one of the foremost experts on the restoration of upper body mobility.
For quadriplegics, the predominant concentration of spinal cord research on lower body mobility is of limited benefit. Participation in studies regarding the legs ranks low on the list of priorities for a person who can not use their arms or hands. MHF supports Dr. Lu and his laboratory as it encompasses work spanning the spectrum from basic research to surgical implementation and clinical rehabilitation. The spinal stimulation implant technology at the center of Dr. Lu’s efforts offers today’s most promising solutions to spinal cord injury.
DANIEL C. LU
MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, UCLA
Daniel C. Lu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, UCLA
Daniel C. Lu is a member of the Comprehensive Spine Center in Santa Monica. Dr. Lu’s clinical expertise involves minimally invasive techniques in the surgical management of degenerative, traumatic, and neoplastic spinal disorders. As the Director of the Neuroplasticity and Repair Laboratory and the UCLA Neuromotor Recovery and Rehabilitation Center, his research efforts are focused on modulating the neuronal circuitry and networks in the treatment of central nervous system disorders with the ultimate goal of restoring lost function.