Research Education Residency News

Neurosurgery and neurotechnology grants to improve patients’ lives

Department of Neurosurgery faculty Eric Leuthardt, MD, Hiroko Yano, PhD, and Allegra Petti, PhD, received new grants.

Announcing new grants of greater than $100,000, awarded to faculty and residents of the Department of Neurosurgery, between Nov. 1, 2020 – Feb. 28, 2021:

Eric Leuthardt, MD – National Security Innovation Network

Washington University in St. Louis National Security Academic Accelerator

10/28/20 – 9/30/21

Total 1-year award $500,000 (directs + indirects)

The purpose of the grant is to fund the acceleration of “dual use” technologies at Washington University that can serve both military and commercial markets. As an accelerator, the Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology identifies promising Washington University neurotech research that could lead to commercialization, and figures out ways to fund key milestones of translational development, according to Dr. Leuthardt, director of the Center.

Pat McAllister, PhD – NIH U44

Developing wireless thermal sensors for the monitoring of ventricular shunt function in patients with hydrocephalus.

Total 1 1/2-year award $500,000 (directs + indirects)

Allegra Petti, PhD – American Cancer Society

Genetic, epigenetic, and immunological heterogeneity at the glioblastoma tumor margin.

1/1/21 – 12/31/21

Total 1-year award $30,000 (directs + indirects)

Hiroko Yano, PhD – Hope Center

Targeting DNMT3A as a therapeutic strategy for Huntington’s disease.

1/1/21 – 12/31/22

Total 2-year award $100,000 (directs + indirects)

Resident NIH R25 Administrative Supplements

7/1/21 – 6/30/22

Total 1-year award for 3 residents $178,000 (directs + indirects)

Kevin Cross, MD

“Mapping Anatomic and Functional Aspects of Conventional Dendritic Cell Type 1 Mediated Antigen Presentation in Glioblastoma.”

Mentors: Gavin Dunn, MD, PhD, and Jonathan Kipnis, PhD.

Carl Hacker, MD, PhD

“Measuring neural correlates of mood and using neural stimulation to investigate the relationship between mood and network-related brain activity.”

Mentors: Eric Leuthardt, MD, Jon Willie, MD, PhD, Daniel Moran, PhD, and Eric Lenze, MD.

Anja Srienc, MD, PhD

“Identifying Biomarkers of Neurological Decline After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Using Diffuse Optical Tomography.”

Mentors: Joe Culver, PhD, Jin-Moo Lee, MD, PhD, and Greg Zipfel, MD.