Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Research

The goal of traumatic brain injury (TBI) research at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is to lessen the burden of the injury through the discovery of knowledge. This NINDS disease specific web page was developed to provide information related to TBI research.

NINDS conducts and supports research on TBI to better understand the biological mechanisms of injury, to develop tools for improved diagnosis and classification,, and to devise effective treatments to improve functional outcomes and quality of life. NINDS areas of research include:

• Human observational studies to evaluate and characterize alterations in brain function and behavior
• Pre-clinical studies to elucidate mechanisms of brain injury and repair, and to identify therapeutic targets
• Development of neuroimaging and other surrogate markers for diagnosis and evaluation of experimental treatments
• Translational research for therapy development
• Clinical trials to evaluate therapeutic efficacy
  • Current TBI clinical trials
  • Overview of NINDS Office of Clinical Research

NINDS Funding Opportunities Related to TBI

Contacts for TBI Research at NINDS

• Dr. Ramona Hicks is the primary point of contact for extramural TBI research at NINDS.
• Dr. Robin Conwit is the scientific program director for the Neurological Emergency Treatment Trials Network (NETT).
• Dr. Scott Janis is the entry point of contact for information on extramural clinical studies.
• Dr. Deborah Hirtz is a child neurologist whose expertise includes pediatric TBI.
• Dr. Debra Babcock provides leadership on research related to clinical pathophysiology and cognitive dysfunction.
• Dr. Walter Koroshetz is the Deputy Director of NINDS and oversees all TBI research at the NIH.

Other Contacts and Sources for TBI Research

• NIH Institutes
• Federal Agencies and Programs

NINDS Supported Workshops on TBI

• Advancing Integrated Research on Psychological Health and TBI: Common Data Elements, March 2009
• Trauma Spectrum Disorders: Effects of Gender, Race, and Socioeconomic Factors, October 2008
• Neurological Effects of Blast Injury, April 2008
• Combination Therapies for Traumatic Brain Injury, Feb. 2008
• Classification of TBI, October 2007

Resources for TBI Research

• NINDS TBI Research Listserv - designed to disseminate information on funding and other opportunities for TBI research. Join the listserv now!
• CRISP Database of NIH Funded Grants
• Technology Transfer Office
• Tools for Neuroscience Research