Kate Meacham MD, PhD has been awarded an IARS (International Anesthesia Research Society) Mentored Research Award for her project titled “A wireless system for the mechanistic study of spinal cord stimulation.” Dr. Meacham will use the two years of support to develop a novel translational device for investigating mechanisms-of-action of new types of spinal cord stimulation.
The IMRA award will also provide Dr. Meacham specific training under the mentorship of Robert W. Gereau IV, PhD (Director of the WU Pain Center and Division Chief of Basic Science Research) and Simon Haroutounian, PhD (Chief of Clinical Research for the WU Pain Center) in support of her future role as an independent investigator. Her research will focus on closing the translational gap between pain neuroscience/engineering and effective clinical neuromodulation therapies for pain management and prevention.
Broc Burke MD, PhD has been awarded an IARS (International Anesthesia Research Society) Mentored Research Award. This award will provide two years of support for research and development of a bedside monitor of brain activity and will facilitate Dr. Burke’s transition to becoming an independent investigator.
Dr. Burke received the grant from the IARS for his project titled “Development of a real-time bedside brain functional connectivity monitor”. During stroke and stroke recovery, decreases in functional connectivity between brain regions has been shown to correlate with deficits in speech, attention, and movement. This project develops the techniques needed to use diffuse optical tomography (a near-infrared light imaging technique) to produce real-time brain functional connectivity monitoring at a patient’s bedside. The goal of this new technique is to produce timely metrics of brain health for clinicians, researchers, and patients. Dr. Burke’s research specializes in perioperative and critical care bedside neurological monitoring. His long-term interest is to apply real-time neuromonitoring metrics to study of patients at increased risk of adverse neurologic events.