SAHANA NALINI Kukke
$22,000
METHODIST HOSPITAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Texas
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
This R13 originated through discussions with investigators in the fields of neurostimulation and neuroplasticity at the Houston Methodist Research Institute (HMRI). In 2017, we held an R13-funded pilot workshop that combined research in neural stimulation with new insight into the molecular understanding of neural plasticity and regeneration. The workshop received a strong, positive response by participants and interest in further catalysts of working collaboration. Thus, in 2019, we fostered relationship development and crossover opportunities among attendees via a blitz session wherein newly formed (i.e., established at the 2019 Workshop) collaborative teams competed for two $5K mini grants that supported travel to and from each other’s institutions. In 2021, our R13-funded workshop went 100% virtual due to COVID-19; however, this did not diminish the Workshop’s impact. With over eighty attendees, many new collaborations were forged, and projects conceived. Given the overwhelmingly positive feedback, we will host the 4th Patricia Levy Zusman International Workshop on Neuroregeneration (Zusman Workshop) on March 7th-10th, 2023. It will focus on the intersection of electrical activity, brain connectomics and molecular neural plasticity. Our specific aims are to: 1) formulate new ideas to fill the gap between physiology and functional-based brain stimulation technologies and the molecular and cellular understanding of innate neuronal plasticity; 2) integrate promising trainees into plenary sessions; and 3) ensure trainees participate in substantial discussions and interactions with faculty members. The 2023 Workshop will be held at HMRI, which is part of the Texas Medical Center (TMC; a one-of-a-kind medical and research hub that fosters cross-institutional collaboration, creativity, and innovation) and is in Houston Texas (one of the United States’ most diverse cities). A key aspect of the Zusman Workshop is the active inclusion and participation of trainees, particularly women and under-represented minorities. We will encourage their participation via travel scholarships and active promotion and recruitment throughout the TMC. Also, the Workshop seeks to promote the voices of graduate and postdoctoral trainees. As such, it will include a trainee poster session as well as a session dedicated to trainee oral presentations (given by travel awardees). Further, goal-oriented breakout sessions, led by senior/early-stage investigators and selected trainees, will foster discussion and promote cross- training and collaboration among participants. Overall, this workshop is distinct from established physiology conferences and dedicated neural regeneration conferences in several ways. It is: 1) highly focused on the gap between molecular regeneration and electrophysiology/stimulation, 2) concept driven by clinicians and experimentalists currently problem solving in human therapy, and 3) focused on the establishment of cross training and expertise development in graduate, post-graduate, and clinical fellows. The 2023 Zusman Workshop will ignite innovative collaborations and spur novel multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative, transdisciplinary methods, technologies, and treatments to modulate performance in the damaged nervous system.