Cover Neuroscientist and 2019 Rolex Awards Laureate Grégoire Courtine is transforming the lives of people with paralysis by helping them regain mobility through a revolutionary “digital bridge” system that utilises technology and a pair of implants placed in the brain (pictured in his hands) and the spinal cord
Neuroscientist and 2019 Rolex Awards Laureate Grégoire Courtine is transforming the lives of people with paralysis by helping them regain mobility through a revolutionary “digital bridge” system that utilises technology and a pair of implants placed in the brain (pictured in his hands) and the spinal cord
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In Partnership With
Supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, neuroscientist Grégoire Courtine’s pioneering work is charting new possibilities in restoring mobility and dignity for those living with paralysis
For those who have to navigate paralysis, or have watched a loved one work through it, the world changes in an instant. Suddenly, the once‑effortless routines of daily life become obstacles, reshaping both the body and the spirit. Neuroscientist Grégoire Courtine understands this deeply, not just as a researcher, but as someone who has spent decades listening to such stories and has made it his life’s mission to return movement where it has been lost.
Courtine has been driven by an unshakeable belief that paralysis can be overcome and his conviction has reshaped the scientific landscape around spinal cord repair. Today, as co‑founder of .NeuroRestore, the Swiss academic centre he launched with neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch, he stands at the forefront of one of medicine’s most ambitious challenges: restoring mobility by forging a direct, intelligent link between the brain and the body.
That link is what Courtine calls a “digital bridge”—a pair of implants, one placed on the brain and the other in the spinal cord, designed to interpret thoughts and translate them into precise, functional movements. What began as a theoretical possibility is now a working system, transforming the lives of individuals living with severe, and increasingly complex, spinal injuries.
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Above Courtine (pictured left) with his research partner, neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch
Courtine (pictured left) with his research partner, neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch
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Step by Step
The latest milestone comes in the form of Suzanne Edwards. Fourteen years ago, she fell from a roof and was told she would never walk again. Her spinal cord had been completely severed; there was no sensation in her legs and no possibility of voluntary movement. For Courtine and Bloch, treating someone with such a complete injury represented a step into uncharted territory.
Yet, that is where Courtine, who is also a passionate climber, seems to be most comfortable. Working with a new generation of electrodes that are more precise, more responsive and calibrated to reach the nerve roots essential for leg movement, the team built a customised neuroprosthetic that can compensate for Edwards’s paralysis. When she rose from the parallel bars and shifted her weight forward for the first time in more than a decade, it was a true accomplishment for Courtine and his team.
“What was exciting about Suzanne’s operation was that we were able to test a new piece of technology; electrode fields that are much more precise in targeting all the nerve roots that are important for controlling leg muscles,” explains the Rolex Awards Laureate. “This was crucial for us with Suzanne because she’s our first patient who is completely paralysed. We really needed maximum precision, and the new technology worked wonderfully.”
Above Courtine (pictured left) in his office, discussing how to treat a patient with his associate, Bloch
Courtine (pictured left) in his office, discussing how to treat a patient with his associate, Bloch
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New Frontier
Courtine’s path to neuroscience was sparked by a chance encounter and shaped by his curiosity. When he was a young physics student, he developed a love of climbing and even considered a career in the sport. During a climb, he met a professor of neuroscience and, while chatting about the way the brain controls a climber’s every move, was fascinated and found his new vocation.
Later, after completing his PhD in neuroscience, Courtine travelled to Los Angeles to join a lab connected to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, where hearing Christopher Reeve, the Superman actor who was paralysed after an accident, speak about life after paralysis proved pivotal. “It was really the moment when I decided to invest the rest of my career in developing therapies for people suffering from paralysis,” he recalls.
The journey was far from straightforward. His early work on electrical stimulation met resistance and funding disappeared. But Courtine persisted, guided by the same spirit that has long driven the explorers Rolex supports—those who continue on the path not because it is easy, but because the pursuit feels essential.
Above Courtine looking on as his patient Suzanne Edwards prepares to take her first steps since an accident left her paralysed
Courtine looking on as his patient Suzanne Edwards prepares to take her first steps since an accident left her paralysed
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This spirit, combined with his work developing a revolutionary system for individuals with paralysis to regain control over their legs, led Courtine to be named a Rolex Awards Laureate in 2019, just one year after co‑founding his academic centre, .NeuroRestore. “The whole team felt empowered by receiving the Rolex Awards in 2019. The fact that a jury of experts believed in our work; it energised us,” says Courtine. “We felt emboldened to push forward, further into the unknown.”
Forging ahead, Courtine and Bloch are proving that their digital bridge is viable for those with increasingly complex spinal injuries. With the critical support of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, their ambitions extend beyond restoring lower‑limb function. They aim to develop the bridge further to help those with tetraplegia restore upper‑limb movements as well as assist those with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, potentially improving millions of lives worldwide.
Courtine’s story reflects the ethos that underpins Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Initiative: a belief that progress is not a single breakthrough but a commitment towards excellence.
Above Courtine holding an implant that is to be placed in the brain
Courtine holding an implant that is to be placed in the brain
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Under the Same Sky
Tatler believes that true luxury lies in preservation—in safeguarding the beauty of our world for generations to come. Guided by culture, community and creativity, Under the Same Sky shares the stories of those working tirelessly to preserve the health of our planet. These intrepid explorers, organisations and scientists and entrepreneurs are supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and we are excited to share their innovations and ideas that will hopefully help sustain life on Earth. This is our shared commitment to ensure that the habitability of our planet endures—timeless, vital and everlasting.
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Credits
Images: Rolex
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Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
