Already a recognized world leader in traumatic brain injury research, the Miller School will now be able to continue its groundbreaking work. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, has authorized another five years of funding for the Miller School’s P50 Program Project Center Grant for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Proposed studies—in what will now be the 16th year of funding—will target the pathophysiology of TBI using preclinical animal models and clinically relevant outcome measures.
“We are delighted by this outstanding news, which will allow for the testing of several new hypotheses that could lead to novel treatments for this devastating condition,” says W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D., principal investigator and scientific director of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.
Approximately 500,000 people in the United States sustain moderate or severe TBI each year, and currently there are no proven treatments available to protect or promote functional recovery in these individuals. Traumatic brain injury is also the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan because of the increased use of roadside bombs.
The experimental program involves several University departments, including neurological surgery, neurology, and psychology. The approximately $7.5 million in funding over the
next five years will help support more than 25 researchers.
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