Developing 21st Century Medicines
Susan Howley
Strategic Advisory and Patient Engagement Board Member
RESEARCH LEADERSHIP
Former Executive Vice President for Research, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
Research Consultant, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
Former Executive Director and Director of Research, American Paralysis Association
Leadership in spinal cord injury research and clinical research networks
PATIENT ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC SERVICE
Former Commissioner and two-term Chair, New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Injury Research
Trustee and President, New Jersey Connect and Freeman Apartments
Long-standing advocate for independent living, accessible housing and people with physical disabilities
Susan Howley is a recognized leader in spinal cord injury research, translational medicine and patient advocacy. Over more than four decades, she has helped develop and oversee research programs designed to move scientific discoveries toward meaningful improvements in the lives of people affected by spinal cord injury.
Ms. Howley entered the field in 1982 as Director of Administration for the Stifel Paralysis Research Foundation. Following its merger with the American Paralysis Association, she served as the Association’s Executive Director and subsequently as Director of Research. In these roles, she oversaw individual research grants and helped launch the International Research Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury, bringing together multidisciplinary neuroscientists to accelerate the development of new therapies.
After the American Paralysis Association’s research programs became part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Ms. Howley was appointed Executive Vice President for Research. She led a major expansion of the Foundation’s research strategy, including the Translational Research Fund, the North American Clinical Trials Network and the NeuroRecovery Network. She also guided the Foundation’s support for research investigating epidural stimulation and activity-based training to improve movement and autonomic function following severe spinal cord injury. She later continued her work with the Foundation as a research consultant with responsibility for the North American Clinical Trials Network.
Ms. Howley served on the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Injury Research from 1999 to 2019, including two terms as Chair. She has also supported organizations advancing accessible housing, independent living and greater autonomy for people with physical disabilities.
At SMDG, Ms. Howley contributes extensive experience in patient-centered research, foundation strategy, translational development, clinical research networks and engagement with neurological disease communities as a member of the Strategic Advisory and Patient Engagement Board.