Neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch, MD, and neuroscientist Grégoire Courtine, PhD, were named on Time's 2024 100 Most Influential People list for their work to help a spinal cord injury patient walk.
Dr. Bloch used a device on a man's spine that sent out electrical impulses to help him walk with a walker, according to a May 2 profile. Dr. Courtine helped design the technology.
In 2023, Dr. Bloch used additional devices inside the man's brain to build a "digital bridge" to help him move more naturally. Eventually the man, who was injured in a 2011 motorbike accident, was able to walk with the device turned off.
Dr. Courtine told Time that he hopes the technology can be available to the wider public within 10 years.