# EEG and MRI Biomarkers to Predict Post-traumatic Epilepsy

> **NIH NIH K23** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $187,595

## Abstract

Project Summary
Dr. Jennifer A. Kim is a critical care neurologist and neuroscientist at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Her long-term
career goal is to become an independently funded translational investigator with expertise in signal processing
of neurophysiologic and neuroimaging data to identify early biomarkers of secondary brain injury in critically ill
patients, particularly related to post-traumatic epilepsy. Post-traumatic epilepsy is a disabling complication of
traumatic brain injury (TBI). There is an urgent need to find biomarkers of post-traumatic epilepsy to identify
patients at high risk for developing this complication. It is a population in which early biomarker identification
could improve patient monitoring and ultimately treatment development to circumvent epileptogenesis. Post-
traumatic epilepsy contributes to worsening of the already high rates of TBI morbidity, disability and cost of
care, thus emphasizing the importance of preventing this complication. We need to find biomarkers to best
define those most likely to benefit from potential treatments and make such treatment discovery trials more
feasible. During the proposed training period, the candidate will expand upon her knowledge of EEG signal
processing and machine learning techniques and acquire new skills in neuroimaging analysis using Magnetic
Resonance technologies and biostatistics. To accomplish this, Dr. Kim has brought together a strong
mentorship team of Dr. Hal Blumenfeld (primary mentor) and co-mentors Drs. Todd Constable, Brandon
Westover and Brian Edlow who have expertise in multi-modal approaches to studying epilepsy, functional MRI
analysis, computational EEG analysis and structural TBI imaging, respectively. Under their mentorship, Dr. Kim
proposes to: 1) quantify epileptiform abnormality (EA) frequency and identify EA waveform features that
optimally predict PTE, 2) determine if direct hippocampal injury, assessed by cortical thickness and contusion
volume, stratifies PTE risk 3) assess whether indirect hippocampal injury, based on structural and functional
MRI connectivity analyses, portend PTE. The overall goal is to identify early biomarkers of patients at high risk
for post-traumatic epilepsy to target development of anti-epileptogenesis treatments. Bringing together
advanced neurophysiologic and neuroimaging analysis and this strong mentorship support, this project opens
new avenues for optimizing follow-up care and advancing potential treatment development for all traumatic
brain injury patients at risk for post-traumatic epilepsy. This well-defined patient-oriented research proposal, in
concert with the mentorship and structured didactic curriculum, will provide Dr. Kim with the skills that are
essential to develop an independent career in neurophysiological and neuroimaging research that translates to
improving patient outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10864951
- **Project number:** 5K23NS112596-05
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jennifer A Kim
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $187,595
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10864951

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10864951, EEG and MRI Biomarkers to Predict Post-traumatic Epilepsy (5K23NS112596-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10864951. Licensed CC0.

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