OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CNRM
The Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM) was established to address the current and future needs of the Department of Defense (DoD) by studying blast-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress (PTS). Researchers at USU work with neuroimaging experts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study blast-related TBI and PTS from combat care patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Under the direction of an APG faculty member, CNRM has grown to become a mature intramural interagency expanded to support translational and clinical studies that will build a solid evidence base to influence clinical practice in the treatment of TBI symptoms in service members.
Several core resources have been established under CNRM to accelerate DoD mission relevant research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of service members who experience blast exposure, traumatic brain injury, and co-morbid psychological health concerns.
An APG faculty member is the Principal Investigator for the Translational Therapeutics Core supported by the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine. This core conducts pre-clinical interventional trials with direct relevance to late phase military traumatic brain injury patients, using best practices for scientific rigor and for pre-clinical translation to clinical trials.
Another APG faculty member is the Principal Investigator for the Pre-clinical Models Core supported by the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine. This core provides technical expertise and facilities for pre-clinical models of traumatic brain injury, including several methods for impact and/or blast events for military relevant pathophysiology. This core similarly supports behavioral assessments required to evaluate the effects of impact and blast brain injury in pre-clinical models. Faculty and core staff also contribute to planning and implementation of interventional trials to test promising treatments in these models using the resources of the Translational Therapeutics Core.