Dr. Claes Hultling, MD, PhD is an attending physician and professor at Karolinska Institutet. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Spinals Foundation, a cutting-edge rehab facility organization in Sweden that is dedicated to the research and development of treatment in spinal cord injury. The history of Spinalis began in 1984, when Claes Hultling was involved in a diving accident whereupon he hit his head on a rock and broke his neck, becoming paralyzed from the chest down. At the time of the accident he was working as an anesthesiologist at Karolinska Hospital. He has since dedicated his life to rehabilitation, research and advocacy for people with spinal cord injuries - also in Africa.