# Rehabilitation Science and Technologies

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2022 · $146,408

## Abstract

7. Project Summary: RC-3
Physical impairments, sedentary lifestyle, and chronic conditions such as stroke, hip fracture, arthritis,
Parkinson’s disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus and its vascular sequelae, result in multi-system declines
that precipitate the loss of functional independence and the onset of disability among older adults. RC-3 aims
to improve our ability to prevent and reverse these declines. The central hypothesis of Rehabilitation Science
and Technologies Resource Core 3 (RC-3) is that neuromotor learning-based therapeutics including
rehabilitation robotics will improve sensorimotor recovery and enhance function by mechanisms of activity
dependent plasticity in older Americans with functional limitations and disability. Aims: 1) To develop and
support mechanistic investigations of physical activity and exercise-mediated central and peripheral
neuromuscular adaptations that underlie the neuroplastic mediated improvements in functional performance
produced by rehabilitative interventions and enabling technologies.; 2) To mentor and support REC Scholars
and UM-OAIC investigators in the design, development and implementation of motor learning-based
rehabilitation studies and enabling technologies and the underlying neuromuscular mechanisms to improve
functional outcomes in older persons with functional limitations; and 3) To facilitate translation of UM-OAIC
discoveries across the mechanistic, rehabilitation engineering, applied clinical testing, and technology transfer
phases in order to catalyze transition of discoveries into evidence-based services, products, and tools for
precision rehabilitation. We continue this core’s heritage of investigating models of motor learning and
mechanisms of activity dependent plasticity to enable functional recovery in aging, chronic disease, and
disability. This approach relies on the synergy between RC-3 developing the neuroscience-based motor
learning elements of interventions with RC-2 co-designing the exercise, and joint planning on multi-system
mechanistic studies that converge upon the central and peripheral neuromuscular systems and cardiovascular-
metabolic adaptations that underlie the benefits. We expand beyond but still include prior strengths in
rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy, and balance research by building new bioengineering capacity and
expanding rehabilitative technologies to facilitate innovation at the intersection of these disciplines. Our
approach now leverages multi-level functional and sensorimotor performance assessments, rehabilitation
robotics, and engineering models that rely on joint analysis with RC-1 to advance precision rehabilitation and
produce new technologies that enhance recovery. Technology transfer processes and academic-private
partnerships are introduced to accelerate translation. RC-3 will advance the UM-OAIC mission to reduce
disability and restore function in older individuals and accelerate the translation of science-driven rehabilitation
t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10465183
- **Project number:** 5P30AG028747-17
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** RICHARD FRANK MACKO
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $146,408
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2006-09-15 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10465183

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10465183, Rehabilitation Science and Technologies (5P30AG028747-17). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10465183. Licensed CC0.

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