From Relentless Fundraising to Breakthrough Science: How The Miami Project Is Changing Lives

Marc Buoniconti says his father, the late NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti, summed up the nonprofit’s approach with a wry line: “We’re just not good listeners.” That stubborn persistence has defined the Buoniconti family’s work since Marc, then a college linebacker at The Citadel, was paralyzed in a routine tackle about 40 years ago.

Refusing to accept paralysis as an unsolvable problem, the Buonicontis and their supporters have raised more than $550 million for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. The funding has supported research that has improved care and outcomes for millions of people with spinal cord and brain injuries and has helped expand the center’s focus to other neurologic diseases.

Broadening a mission

Based at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, The Miami Project—cofounded in 1985 by Nick Buoniconti and Dr. Barth A. Green—now investigates a range of neurologic disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The center is also participating in trials of next-generation brain-computer interface technology developed by Neuralink.

Advances that changed standard care

Dr. Barth A. Green says some of the most surprising outcomes from the center have had broad influence beyond spinal cord injury care. Technologies and protocols developed at The Miami Project—such as routine intraoperative monitoring of the nervous system and therapeutic hypothermia (cooling the body after injury to protect brain and spinal cord tissue)—are now widely used in surgical and critical-care settings around the world.

Multidisciplinary collaboration fuels unexpected breakthroughs

W. Dalton Dietrich III, the project’s scientific director, emphasizes that assembling neuroscientists, clinicians, biomedical engineers and other specialists under one roof has led to innovations that might not have emerged otherwise. “Not one particular treatment is going to cure paralysis,” Dietrich said. “Bringing in other disciplines helps us approach the problem from many angles.”

One rapidly growing area is neuromodulation—stimulating existing neural circuits after brain or spinal cord injury to restore movement or function. Early-stage trials supported by the Buoniconti Fund accelerate promising ideas, helping research teams secure larger government grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.

“The Buoniconti Fund has lasted because we’re relentless,” Marc Buoniconti said. “We never give up. When we see a challenge, we face it head-on and don’t stop until we find a solution.”

Community, donors and momentum

Marc Buoniconti says he is humbled by the support that has grown from his personal injury into a mission aimed at millions. Donors, volunteers and community leaders—such as Mark Dalton of Tudor Investment Corp., and public supporters like Jack Nicklaus and Gloria Estefan—have helped sustain fundraising efforts including the annual Great Sports Legends Dinner.

“They put the line in the water,” Dalton said of his decision to get involved. “They hooked me. I’m all in.”

Looking ahead

Buoniconti’s vision remains focused on repairing the nervous system. “My biggest dream is for our researchers to find a way to fully repair the nervous system,” he said. “When we do that, we’ll change the entire landscape for paralysis and so many other neurological conditions. We’ll give so many people their lives back.”

The Miami Project’s combination of persistent fundraising, rigorous science and multidisciplinary collaboration continues to push treatments from early trials toward broader clinical use, offering hope for people living with spinal cord and brain injuries.