Darren Mann, Class of '25

Darren Mann: Advancing Mobility and Wellness After Spinal Cord Injury

For Darren Mann, a 2025 graduate student, research is deeply personal and profoundly human. His graduate work explored how innovative neuromodulation and adaptive exercise therapies can support recovery and wellness after a motor complete spinal cord injury, a condition traditionally associated with very limited functional improvement.

Darren’s research took the form of an in-depth case study that combined multiple forms of electrical stimulation with an adaptive arm-and-leg cycling device designed to move the upper and lower limbs together. This activity-based therapy was paired with epidural spinal cord stimulation, a technique that delivers targeted electrical input to the spinal cord. Together, these approaches aimed to engage spinal networks and promote recovery.

The study examined changes in spasticity, muscle strength, and sensory and motor function, while also capturing the lived experience of participating in this intensive therapy. Using reflexive thematic analysis, Darren interviewed both the participant and their partner to better understand the personal, relational, and practical impacts of adaptive, activity-based rehabilitation.

“One of the most important lessons I learned,” Darren reflects, “was gaining a deeper understanding of the everyday systemic and environmental barriers faced by people living with spinal cord injuries.” Through this work, he came to appreciate that medical intervention is only one part of wellness. Equally vital are peer support, access to adaptive programs, and environments that enable participation and independence. These insights have shaped his commitment to advocating for equitable access to health and wellness initiatives, particularly adaptive and activity-based therapies.

Darren shared his findings widely, presenting posters at numerous provincial, national, and international meetings, including Me2 Majumdar Research and Quality Improvement Day, Society for Neuroscience, RehabWeek, the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Meeting, and the Canadian Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Association, among others. His work was recognized with prestigious funding, including a Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (CIHR) and the Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship from the University of Alberta.

His path into medicine and research was inspired by watching his mother navigate life with a congenital hip deformity. As a child, Darren witnessed years of painful interventions that limited her mobility and participation, shaping her decision to become a physical therapist. Later, as her condition worsened and she found herself on the receiving end of care, Darren saw firsthand the challenges people with disabilities face, including barriers to participation and social isolation. “Those experiences helped me understand how illness and impairment affect not just individuals, but entire families,” he says. “They also reinforced how essential family support is to physical and emotional wellness.”

Now a first-year medical student at the University of Alberta, Darren continues to bridge research, medicine, and community engagement. He remains actively involved in adaptive sport and rehabilitation, facilitating adaptive pickleball at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital with Spinal Cord Injury Alberta and serving as an equipment manager for the Edmonton SteelWheels Wheelchair Rugby Club. Through these roles, he aims to foster spaces that promote independence, participation, and the therapeutic benefits of adaptive activity.

Outside of medicine and research, Darren finds inspiration in his wife, Mackenzie, whose unwavering support has enabled him to pursue his goals. And when he needs a distraction, he proudly turns to another passion: cheering on the Edmonton Oilers, remaining ever hopeful that another Stanley Cup is on the horizon.