The Spinal Cord Injury Center is unique in its approach to developing treatments of spinal cord injury. It was the first to develop the concept of secondary tissue damage in spinal cord injury. Its success is evidenced by the widespread use of drugs it helped develop and numerous awards it has received from the National Institutes of Health for research accomplishments.

Training and research are the two major foci of the center. In research, the center has engaged in many clinical trials that have developed new ways to assess clinical damage and new pharmacological and surgical treatments. The Center is designated as the Regional Spinal Cord Trauma Center for Manhattan by the New York City Emergency Medical Service. It also admits patients from the entire metropolitan area.