Training Program in Recovery and Restoration of CNS health and function

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Project Summary We seek support for a postdoctoral training program in Recovery and Restoration of Brain Health and Function following acute brain injury due to stroke or trauma to be administered by the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Combining the expertise of the clinical neurosciences at MGH and the Brown Institute for Brain Science at Brown University, this program will fill a pressing need for clinician-scientists and neuroengineers trained to leverage the computational neurosciences and to develop device-based interventions on behalf of patients who survive disabling brain injuries. The program will involve active participation by an accomplished, experienced, and multidisciplinary training faculty drawn from anesthesia, bioengineering, computational neuroscience, neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, and radiology. The program will train postdoctoral clinician-scientists who have an understanding of and commitment to research in functional recovery and will devote themselves to studying the effects of novel interventions in patients. Postdoctoral neuroengineers trained by the program will be integrated into clinical research teams so that they can gain an understanding of the clinical environment required to lead multi- disciplinary teams developing new treatments for patients who survive brain injuries. Mentors and research experiences cover five overarching themes: 1) Clinical research and clinical trials, 2) Computational neuroscience, 3) From neural recording to neural imaging, 4) Neural repair, and 5) Neuromodulation. Trainees will spend a minimum of two years in the program. The program will combine a mentored research project within one of the five theme areas with specific coursework tailored to the theme area chosen by the trainee. All trainees will enroll in career development training activities specifically tailored to their background as clinician or neuroengineer. At its completion they will be prepared to submit successful research career development awards devoted to improving outcomes for survivors of acute brain injury. The program will capitalize on 1) strong clinical training programs in acute brain injuries at MGH, 2) strong research training programs in the clinical neurosciences, 3) strong bioengineering and computational neuroscience research training programs at Brown, and 4) the already close collaboration between MGH and Brown.