# Neurobiology of CNS Injury and Repair

> **NIH NIH T32** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2024 · $177,281

## Abstract

Project Summary
This is a renewal application requesting continued funding for a Neurobiology of CNS Injury and Repair T32
Training Program to support 4 predoctoral fellows per year for a 2-year training period, working toward their
PhD degrees in the fields of traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), or stroke. The overall goal
continues to be to prepare highly motivated graduate students for careers in neurotrauma research-related
fields by providing broad-based training in the pathophysiology of TBI, SCI, and stroke and the identification of
potential disease-modifying molecular targets that can drive the discovery of pharmacological or gene-based
therapeutic strategies. An Executive Committee will select trainees from a pool of qualified applicants,
generally in their third year of PhD training. Trainees will receive intensive hands-on research mentoring, with
an emphasis on understanding and applying quantitative assessment tools in laboratories of Training Faculty
appointed in the Depts. of Neuroscience, Physiology, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, and Pharmaceutical
Sciences who regularly interact and collaborate through their affiliation with the University of Kentucky's (UK)
Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center and Center for Advanced Translational Stroke Science (CATSS).
In addition to coursework, trainees will engage in journal clubs, responsible conduct of research training,
Center and Departmental seminar series, and a customized set of program-wide meetings in Professional
Skills, and Quantitative Literacy-Experimental Design and Statistics (PSQL-EDS). The monthly PSQL-EDS will
facilitate active learning of concepts such as quantitative literacy, statistical analysis, and scientific rigor, as
well as scientific writing and professional development. Of the students appointed to the T32 Program in the
previous 9 years, 13 have completed their PhDs, 2 will complete their PhDs in year 10, and 6 will continue their
PhD training. All those that completed their PhDs continued into science-related positions. Several are
continuing their education (3 postdocs, 1 resident), one is an AAAS science policy fellow at the NIH, and the
majority are pursuing careers in academia (3 Assistant Professors, 1 instructor, 1 researcher) and biomedical
industry (2). The PhD completion and career placement success of the T32 Program is further highlighted by
an outstanding record of recruiting and retaining diverse trainees: a large proportion of appointees are of
underrepresented race or ethnicity, have a disability, or come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The
program's success and continued evolution will be guided by two groups: an Executive Committee comprised
of the Program Directors, Training Faculty, and senior UK faculty who bring expertise in administration,
mentoring, and inclusion research initiatives, and an External Advisory Board of national leaders in TBI, SCI,
and stroke research. Through the pairing of comprehensive,...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10877775
- **Project number:** 5T32NS077889-13
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Warren Joseph Alilain
- **Activity code:** T32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $177,281
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2012-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10877775

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10877775, Neurobiology of CNS Injury and Repair (5T32NS077889-13). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10877775. Licensed CC0.

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