# West Virginia University Stroke COBRE

> **NIH NIH P20** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $272,780

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY 
Neurological disorders including stroke are highly prevalent and have substantial medical, financial, and human 
costs, including behavioral/functional disruptions that negatively impact quality of life. As such, the inclusion of 
functional assessments in studies of brain disorders is a necessary component of a high-profile, translational, 
and impactful biomedical research program. In this way, the West Virginia University (WVU) Rodent Behavior 
Core (RBC), a shared instrumentation facility dedicated to the assessment of functional outcomes in rodents, is 
a vital component of the WVU Stroke Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (WVU Stroke CoBRE). WVU 
RBC staff offer comprehensive behavioral testing services from ‘design to dissemination’ that include: 
consultation on experimental design and task selection, writing assistance, behavior testing training, conducting 
behavioral tests, maintaining RBC equipment, hardware and software, and data entry and statistical analysis 
assistance. To date, the RBC offers 27 distinct stroke-relevant tests comprising 5 domains of brain function that 
have enabled the facility and staff to support the work of 64 WVU investigators and trainees. This support has 
resulted in the submission of 58 internal and external grant proposals in which behavioral assays were proposed 
(18 of which have been funded). As well, 26 journal articles that utilized RBC services have been published. For 
Phase II of the WVU Stroke CoBRE, the RBC will 1) continue to provide high quality resources and operational 
support to the WVU Stroke CoBRE Junior Investigators, 2) implement new capabilities, facilities, and operation 
procedures to a productive core to support behavioral assessments, and 3) progress the RBC towards fiscal 
independence from the WVU Stroke CoBRE. Capitalizing on the successful implementation of the WVU RBC 
during the initial period, achieving these specific aims will enhance our ability to provide all necessary equipment, 
resources, and expertise to conduct rodent behavioral assessments to support WVU Stroke CoBRE-funded 
projects as well as other WVU investigators. This will enable the RBC to become a premiere facility for the 
assessment of rodent behavior, poise WVU to emerge as a center for excellence in the evaluation of stroke and 
its comorbidities, and support translational and collaborative research to enhance our understanding of 
neurological disorders and elucidating possible therapeutic interventions for the treatment of stroke and other 
brain disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10217165
- **Project number:** 5P20GM109098-07
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** James C. Walton
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $272,780
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-09-08 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10217165

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10217165, West Virginia University Stroke COBRE (5P20GM109098-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10217165. Licensed CC0.

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