U-M, DoD to Partner on TBI Diagnosis, Treatment

With the devastating effects of traumatic brain injury getting more and more press, a new collaboration between researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care and the U.S. Department of Defense is looking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of severe TBI.

To that end, the two parties will work together to host The Massey Foundation TBI Grand Challenge, which will allow experts in the field to submit project proposals for funding.

Teams developing diagnostic, device, therapeutic or health information technology solutions will be awarded funding to address patient needs during the initial “golden hour” and critical 24 to 48 hours of care following a severe TBI.

Projects will be funded for 12 months from a pool of up to $500,000.

“Most people don’t know that the Department of Defense service members and their families represent the largest U.S. population suffering from TBI,” says Kevin Ward,  executive director of MCIRCC and professor of emergency medicine at U-M, in a prepared statement. “The Department of Defense brings [its] own set of expertise and resources to help us get this research into both the civilian and non-civilian clinical setting,” he adds. —  Elizabeth Hollis