Mayo Clinic researchers receive 2018 Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grants from Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Mayo Clinic researchers received 2018 grants from the Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Grant Program from the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. The program awards research into new and innovative treatments and rehabilitative efforts for the functional improvement of people with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

Mayo Clinic award recipients are:

Kendall Lee, M.D., Ph.D. (NS ’06), director, Mayo Clinic Neural Engineering Laboratory

Kristin Zhao, Ph.D. (PMR ’16), director, Mayo Clinic Assistive and Restorative Technology Laboratory

The research of Drs. Lee and Zhao focuses on the safety and feasibility of low-level epidural electrical stimulation for individuals with spinal cord injury.

Igor Lavrov, M.D., Ph.D. (NDBS ’18), Mayo Clinic Neural Engineering Laboratory

Anthony Windebank, M.D. (N ’81, N ’82), neurologist and director, Mayo Clinic Regenerative Neurobiology Laboratory

The research of Drs. Lavrov and Windebank focuses on modulating the spinal cord microenvironment and sublesional circuitry using epidural stimulation with electrically conductive hydrogel scaffolds seeded with Schwann cells.

Isobel Scarisbrick, Ph.D. (BIOC ’96), director, Mayo Clinic Central Nervous System and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory

Dr. Scarisbrick’s research focuses on metabolic risk factors as targets to improve rehabilitation outcomes after spinal cord injury.