Clinical Recovery and Repair Core (CRRC)

University Of New Mexico Health Scis Ctr, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

SUMMARY Brain injury and stroke are leading causes of death and disability in New Mexico. Given the associated significant public health consequences with these conditions, it is critical that we advance our understanding of brain recovery and repair and develop novel interventions to improve the outcome and quality of life of affected individuals and their families, as well as reduce the costs associated with these conditions. Evaluating new clinical treatments requires interdisciplinary collaborations between preclinical and clinical researchers, each with unique skill sets and knowledge necessary to move new interventions from bench to bedside. Promising clinical neuroscience investigators often require training, mentoring, and consultation in the requisite skills of research design, subject recruitment strategies, selection and administration of appropriate outcome measures, psychometric analyses as well as access to state-of-the-art neuropsychological assessment resources to evaluate interventions and predict outcome. The long-term goal of the Clinical Core is to develop a consolidated clinical intervention research facility that provides leadership, mentoring/guidance, and training for young investigators focusing on brain recovery and repair, and is a research hub that fosters vibrant, interdisciplinary collaborations and supports a critical mass of investigators focused on brain recovery and repair. The Core will pursue the following aims: 1) Develop a centralized clinical research core to support interdisciplinary studies of recovery from acute brain injury, by providing expertise, training, and state-of-the-art equipment for clinical studies of interventions and mechanisms of recovery from acute brain injury. 2) Support current and future Junior PI research projects that concentrate on brain injury and repair with training, consultation and guidance in research design, neuropsychological assessment, data collection and analysis so that they may realize extramural funding.3) Develop a user base of established, funded investigators from within the UNM research community as well as non-UNM investigators to ensure sustainability of Clinical Core to support clinical research that is focused on improving the outcome from brain injury. Together with the Preclinical Core, we will support the goals of the COBRE Center by providing an sustainable, state-of-the-art resource which will provide expertise, training and instrumentation for COBRE PIs and other investigators to accelerate discovery of new treatments for brain injury survivors.