Understanding Neurological Research

Caring for Patients Today and Finding the Treatments of Tomorrow

Neurological diseases impact more than one billion people worldwide and pose a major threat to global health. Since Barrow Neurological Institute’s founding, neuroscience research has been a cornerstone of its mission. Barrow’s goal is to enhance the understanding and treatment of neurological conditions through pioneering basic and clinical research, educating medical professionals, and developing innovative clinical techniques and technologies. With this mindset, Barrow conducts cutting-edge research, constantly adapting as advancements continue to be made in the field.

Supporting Neurological Research

With the support of Barrow Neurological Foundation, the fundraising branch of Barrow Neurological Institute, scientists obtain funding for high-risk, high-reward studies. Many of these Foundation-funded studies attract additional external funding from federal and private agencies, significantly amplifying their impact. These studies also test novel concepts and hold the potential to develop breakthrough treatments for devastating neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, brain and spinal tumors, aneurysms and AVMs, and stroke. By supporting neurological research, you are contributing to the treatments and cures of tomorrow.

With the generous contribution of donors, Barrow was able to advance research last year in the following ways:

Conducted 345 active clinical trials
Enrolled 1,200+ patients in clinical trials
Published 196 peer-reviewed articles
Submitted 21 grant applications to outside agencies
Collaborated with 42 academic facilities

The Role of Translational Research in Advancements

Barrow scientists and physician-scientists within the Department of Translational Neuroscience are world leaders in neuroscience research. Through its innovative and collaborative culture, Barrow aims to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying neurological disorders, develop and translate improved treatments for patients, create new surgical devices used worldwide, and train the next generation of neuroscientists and clinician-scientists.

“Research at Barrow is driven for translation. Even our basic science research is driven by the premise of what the next step to translate the study will be. We focus on solving the problems that are most pressing for our patients.“
Robert Bowser, PhD, Deputy Chief Scientific Officer, Barrow Neurological Institute

Advancing Research for Treatment Breakthroughs

The following includes some highlights of awards earned by Barrow physicians and scientists in 2024:

The Department of Defense (DoD) awarded a $1.48 million grant to Artak Tovmasyan, PhD, to support his work on MnP3, a novel agent offering new hope in treating glioblastoma by enhancing the effectiveness of radiotherapy while protecting healthy brain tissue.
The DoD awarded $722,545 to a team of researchers at Barrow and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) to follow up on their findings of an erroneous genetic sequence, known as cryptic exon, in specific cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Barrow scientist Rita Sattler, PhD, postdoctoral fellow Lauren Gittings, PhD, and their Tgen collaborators published these findings last year.
Ruchira Jha, MD, MSc, Director of the Barrow Neurocritical Care Program, and her collaborators at the University of Pittsburgh received an R21 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a first-of-its-kind study aimed at identifying biomarkers and precise therapeutic targets to predict and prevent contusion expansion in traumatic brain injury. The R21 grant will provide the team with nearly half a million dollars over two years.
The Parkinson’s Foundation and American Brain Foundation, in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology, awarded Brittany Krzyzanowski, PhD, a research assistant professor at Barrow, with the competitive 2024 Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Parkinson’s Disease. The two-year, $150,000 award will support Dr. Krzyzanowski’s work in leveraging big data and spatial methods to investigate modifiable environmental, Parkinson’s disease risk factors.
Barrow received its most significant award ever from the NIH to lead a national ALS clinical research consortium, with a first-year budget of $16.7 million. The new consortium will include 34 clinical sites. Robert Bowser, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Barrow, and Jeremy Shefner, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Clinical Research at Barrow, are among the researchers managing the sites.
Tomoki Hashimoto, MD, a scientist in the Barrow Aneurysm and AVM Research Center, received a $3 million, five-year R01 grant from the NIH to study the role of aging and cellular senescence in the rupture of brain aneurysms.
Barrow researchers, Elliott J. Mufson, PhD, and Sylvia E. Perez, PhD, received a $2.4 million, five-year R01 grant from the NIH to study specific brain cells vulnerable to dysfunction in Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease.

The Significance of Outcomes Measures

Established in 2016, the Barrow Clinical Outcomes Center aims to enhance the quality of neurological care through a data-driven approach. The primary goals of treating neurological diseases are to improve quality of life, maximize function, and extend life expectancy. High-quality patient care requires a thorough understanding of clinical outcomes to continually evolve treatment paradigms. Registries are increasingly utilized across all medical specialties, including the neurosciences.

The Barrow Clinical Outcomes Center systematically collects comprehensive clinical data for the analysis and reporting of patient outcomes. This data repository, the Barrow Clinical Outcomes Database, is the foundation for numerous high-impact studies designed to improve clinical outcomes, reduce costs, integrate new technologies, and enhance neurological care deliveries. Outcomes data are critical to achieving effective and efficient health care, guiding clinical decisions, examining care outcomes, and identifying improvement opportunities.

The Ongoing Pursuit of Knowledge

The brain is not unlike a computer. Just as computers are hard-wired with electrical connections, the brain is hard-wired with neural connections. Humans have an estimated one hundred billion neurons, each with nearly one hundred trillion connections to other cells. However, the brain is a dynamic organ and can change its design throughout life, reorganizing connections in response to experiences. These connections facilitate human behavior, cognition, and movement. Neuroscience seeks to understand how this wiring works and what happens when these connections are damaged. Despite the significant advancements in technology, innovation, and research, we have only scratched the surface of understanding how the brain truly functions.

Barrow Neurological Institute President and CEO Michael T. Lawton, MD, aims to explore the mysteries of the mind by collaborating with institutions around the world. The Barrow Research Initiative will be a center where neuroscientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs collaborate with neurosurgeons, neurologists, and clinicians to discover how the brain functions as the mind. Establishing a robust ecosystem of academic and medical professionals, industry partners, and students can lead to the development of revolutionary devices and therapies to treat the most complex neurological diseases. This will ultimately position Barrow as the place where mankind finally understands the mysteries of the mind for the betterment of health care and humanity.

Donations Fuel the Future of Neuroscience

Donor support plays a crucial role in fueling continued innovation in neuroscience by providing the financial resources necessary for cutting-edge research and development. It is Barrow Neurological Foundation’s mission to continue supporting the Institute’s groundbreaking research by cultivating major grants, endowments, and individual donations. With your help, we can change the course of treatment for individuals battling the most challenging neurological conditions.

How to Donate to Neurological Research

You can help make the future happen now! To support Barrow Neurological Institute’s groundbreaking research, call us at (602) 406-3041 or visit us online.