Norman is a very practical as well as experimental scientist. His viewpoint reaches beyond academic interests to broader applications that can lead to improvements in people’s lives. He has made a very large contribution to the problems of regeneration and repair of the spinal cord in his laboratory work with the South American opossum. This work has substantially expanded our knowledge of the complexity of the problems of healing the damaged spinal cord and restoring functional pathways.
He has spent time with people with spinal cord injury to understand the problems they face in their daily activities. This had led him be actively engaged in innovative approaches to improve their lives. An example is his involvement in the development of a sailing simulator that enables anyone, including highly disabled people such as those with quadriplegia, to learn to sail an access dinghy and then transfer their skills to solo sailing on water. Being able to sail and compete on equal terms alongside those without disability can boost self confidence and encourage engagement in the general community. He secured funding and the co operation of other centres in different countries to undertake a trial to determine the effectiveness of sailing, using the simulator as a training tool, to enhance the quality of life for the spinal cord injured.
He has a very strong ethical sense and applies it to his own work and to the assessment of that of others. His analytical mind and intellectual rigour have enabled him to evaluate problems, research and publications so that he can assist researchers in their endeavours as well as formulate new approaches to solving problems. He applies these principles to mentoring young researchers, ensuring that the next generation will continue the tradition of research excellence that he himself embodies. As a mentor, he has had a huge impact on scientific research internationally. In these days of pressure to publish and limited funding, his personal integrity stands out in academic research.
I have been privileged to have worked with him helping those with spinal cord injury, and of being a friend.
Associate Professor Doug Brown
Executive Director, Spinal Research Institute
Formerly Director, Victorian Spinal Cord Service