The New York State Department of Health has awarded New York City-based Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research with a $3.6 million grant to study spinal cord stimulation and brain implant technology.
The research will be led by Chad Bouton, vice president of engineering at Feinstein; Ashesh Mehta, MD, an employee at Feinstein; and Susan Harkema, PhD, a researcher at the University of Louisville (Ky.).
The study will investigate whether cervical stimulation can promote lasting movement.
"New York State support of this project comes at a critical time as advances in bioelectronic medicine continue to make progress towards enhancing mobility in patients with spinal cord injury," Kevin Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research, said in a Nov. 23 press release. "This also supports an important and productive collaboration between Feinstein Institutes’ Chad Bouton and his team with the University of Louisville team led by Susan Harkema, PhD."