Second Round of Minnesota Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brian Injury Research Grants Awarded

Expanding and developing concurrent programs

7/22/2016

 

Contact: Sandy Connolly, Director of Communications
Office of Higher Education
(651) 259-3902

St. Paul, MN -- A second round of grants aimed at helping those impacted by spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries have been awarded as the result of legislation signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton two years ago.

Under Minnesota's Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brian Injury Research Grant Program, four new grants totaling $496,858 have been awarded to Minnesota research institutions to support new and innovative treatments and rehabilitative efforts for functional improvement of people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. The available state funds were supplemented with funds from a $15,000 program donation by the Get Up Stand Up to Cure Paralysis Foundation for the spinal cord injury research grants.

"Each of these projects are collaborative efforts that address critical barriers to progress in each field and have the potential for stimulating further research," said Commissioner Larry Pogemiller of the Office of Higher Education. "I also want to thank Get Up Stand Up for their donation for the spinal cord injury grants."

As directed by the program's statute, Commissioner Pogemiller awarded the grants in conjunction with the program's 12-member advisory council, chaired by Dr. Walter Low from the University of Minnesota's Medical School.

With the four grants awarded in January 2016, eight projects are now underway in Minnesota, funded with $984,073 of state funds and $12,785 of funds contributed by the Get Up Stand Up to Cure Paralysis Foundation.

The four new awards that apply novel theoretical concepts, approaches, or methodologies to continue the State's focus on advancing medical research and care are:

Research Project Title: Muscle Powered Exoskeleton for Standing and Walking by People with Spinal Cord Injury
Principal Investigator: William Durfee, PhD
Institutional Affiliation: University of Minnesota
Grant Award: $128,385

Research Project Title: Enhancing Rehabilitation with Neuromodulation for Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury
Principal Investigator: David Balser, MD
Institutional Affiliation: Minnesota Veterans Administration Health Care System
Grant Award: $126,900

Research Project Title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as an Intervention for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury
Principal Investigator: Tasha Nienow, PhD
Institutional Affiliation: Minnesota Veterans Administration Health Care System
Grant Award: $121,250

Research Project Title: Vagus Nerve Stimulation to Augment Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury
Principal Investigator: Molly Hubbard, MD
Institutional Affiliation: Hennepin County Medical Center
Grant Award: $120,323

These research projects are funded through June 30, 2017. A Request for Proposals will be available in late March of 2017 seeking new proposals for research projects to fund from July 2017-June 30, 2018.

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Nancy Walters at 651-259- 3907 or Sandy Connolly at 651-259-3902, or sandy.connolly@state.mn.us.