2022 Featured Stories

10-20-2022

Drs. Roach, Piktel and Johnson awarded $2 million NIH STTR grant to develop a device that monitors hydration status

Mary Joan Roach, PhD, staff scientist in the Population Health Research Institute, the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), and Joseph Piktel, MD, attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine, are Multi-Principal Investigators (MPI) on a $2 million STTR (R43) grant entitled “Clinical Effectiveness of a Wearable Hydration Device.”  STTR grants are based on partnerships between industry and academic institutions. The contact PI is Eamon Johnson, PhD, CEO of Triton X, the industry partner. MetroHealth is the lead academic partner for this clinical trial and commercialization project for a Device that Recognizes the Need to Intake Water (currently codenamed the DRINK band). The project has two phases: in Phase 1, investigators will conduct a comparative study of the device among acutely ill dehydrated older adults being cared for in the emergency department. In Phase 2, the investigators will conduct a clinical trial of continuous home monitoring of fluid levels among patients returning home after an acute care episode for dehydration. 

Dr. Roach is Associate Professor of PM&R and Dr. Piktel is Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Co-investigators include Adam Perzynski, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Sociology; Nathan Makowski, PhD, Assistant Professor of PM&R; and Lance Wilson, MD, Professor of Emergency Medicine. 

10-7-2022

Drs. Liu and Tse awarded $3.0 million R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Shujun Liu, PhD and William Tse, MD, faculty in the Center for Cancer Research and the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology and Cancer Biology in the Department of Medicine The MetroHealth System, in collaborating with Dr. Gang Huang, faculty at Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, were awarded a 5-year, $3.0 million, R01 grant entitled, “Role of an Aberrant N6-Methyladenosine-LncRNA Axis in the Development and Maintenance of Drug Resistance through Regulating the Leukemia Stem Cell”. Dr. Liu is the contact Principal Investigator (PI) and Drs. Tse and Huang are Multi-PIs. 

Leukemia is a type of deadly blood cancer affecting more than 60,000 Americans every year. Despite many innovative and revolutionary treatment approaches, a third of all leukemia patients die. Drug-resistance is one of the main reasons that cause therapeutic failure and death due to cancer stem cells (CSCs) becoming refractory to current treatments. Thus, the goals of this project are to identify new genes/pathways regulating CSC persistence, and test novel strategies to eliminate CSCs. The central hypothesis is that coordination of RNA N6-methyladenosine with long non-coding RNA determines CSC fate under drug-imposed selective pressures. The findings will propel the design of new treatment options to achieve treatment-free remission improving cure rates and survival. 

9-22-2022

Dr. DiMarco awarded $9.5 million NIH grant to develop a system to restore effective cough in spinal cord injury

Anthony DiMarco, MD, Staff Scientist in the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), was awarded a $9.5 Million, Multi-Principal Investigator (MPI), NIH grant entitled “Multi-Center Clinical Trial of Spinal Cord Stimulation to Restore Cough.” Dr. DiMarco is the contact PI. Dr. Steven Brose of the Syracuse VA Medical Center and Dr. Vernon Lin of the Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center (WV) are the other MPIs. MPIs, Steve Brose DO and Vernon Lin, MD, have close ties to Cleveland and the Department of PM&R. Dr. Brose was previously a faculty member of the Department of PM&R based at the Cleveland VA, and Dr. Lin is a graduate of the MetroHealth PM&R Residency Program and past Chair of PM&R at the Cleveland Clinic.

The 5-year award will develop and test a spinal cord stimulation device to activate the abdominal muscles to restore an effective cough in persons with high-level spinal cord injury (SCI). Dr. DiMarco’s team will partner with Avery Biomedical Devices to construct a stimulator to be used for this project. After meeting technical development milestones during the UH3 phase, a multi-center trial will be performed during the UG3 phase to determine the safety and efficacy of the system for production of cough, reduction of respiratory tract infections and improvement in quality of life for individuals with SCI. 

Dr. DiMarco is Professor of PM&R at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine. His co-investigators at the MetroHealth Center Rehabilitation Research include Chong Kim, MD, Professor of PM&R, Krzysztof Kowalski, PhD, Clinical Professor of PM&R and Megan Moynahan, MS, Executive Director of the Institute for Functional Restoration at CWRU. Notice of Award was received on September 21, 2022.

9-22-2022

Drs. Bhadra, Kilgore and Peckham Honored at the Inaugural Case Western Reserve University Innovation Week 

Three scientists from the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research were honored at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) Inaugural Innovation Week on September 15. 2022. Niloy Bhadra, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Kevin Kilgore, PhD, Professor of Orthopedics and PM&R were recognized under the category of Excellence in Device Innovation. P. Hunter Peckham, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Biomedical Engineering and Co-Director of the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. 

A total of 30 CWRU faculty members were honored for their impressive records of research and entrepreneurship during an awards ceremony, as part of the University’s Inaugural Innovation Week (September 12-16). In addition to honoring outstanding faculty, the Innovation Week included panel discussions among CWRU faculty, staff, students and partners. Topics included venture capital investments, insights from CWRU’s National Academy of Inventors members (Dr. Peckham is a member), and on-campus resources for faculty innovators. The event also included two-minute poster pitch competition for students and post-docs.

9-22-2022

Dr. Makowski awarded $3.1 million NIH grant to develop a system to restore walking after stroke

Nathan Makowski, PhD, Staff Scientist in the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), was awarded a $3.1 Million, 5-yr NIH grant entitled “Customizable Cooperative Multi-joint Control to Enhance Walking Mobility After Stroke.” The goal of this research is to restore mobility and independence in stroke survivors. Dr. Makowski’s team will use an implanted stimulation system to activate paretic or weak muscles due to a stroke in a coordinated manner to enhance walking ability. During this study, investigators will develop approaches to coordinate assistance with users' movements. They will then evaluate whether the device improves walking ability in a small group of stroke survivors.

Dr. Makowski is Assistant Professor of PM&R on the tenure track at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine. With his first NIH R01 grant, Dr. Makowski has now reached a very important milestone in his professional trajectory as an “Independent Investigator.”

Dr. Makowski’s co-investigators include Musa Audu, PhD, Research Professor of Biomedical Engineering (BME); Debbie Espy, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy (Cleveland State University); Douglas Gunzler, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine; Harry Hoyen, MD, Professor Orthopedics; Ronald Triolo, PhD, Professor of BME; and Richard Wilson, MD, Professor of PM&R. Notice of Award was received on September 15, 2022.

8-5-2022

Drs. Anderson and Hoey awarded $3.1 million grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program

Kim Anderson, PhD and Robert Hoey, PhD, faculty in the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research, were awarded a 4-year, $3.06 million DoD clinical trial grant entitled, “Genital Nerve Stimulation to Modulate Anorectal Reflex Activity in Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction in Individuals Living with Spinal Cord Injury”.  Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes motor paralysis, loss of sensation, and significant dysregulation of autonomic functions, such as bladder, bowel, cardiovascular, and sexual function.  For people living with SCI, bowel control and dysfunction are among their biggest perceived challenges.  Despite numerous management strategies, constipation and incontinence are still common, and innovative tools are needed.  This grant will evaluate one such approach, genital nerve stimulation (GNS).  GNS involves non-invasive stimulation of nerves in the pelvis.  Studies have shown that treatments with GNS can help modulate the reflexes involved in urinating, resulting in fewer bladder accidents.  Early data suggests that GNS can also improve bowel function by changing the reflexes used to defecate.  By relaxing the colon, GNS may allow better storage of stool with fewer bowel accidents.  The goal of this study is to evaluate the short-term effect of GNS on the reflexes used to defecate and the practicality of using GNS daily at home to test the long-term effects.  

This award is part of a new funding strategy by the DoD, which includes an established PI, Kimberly Anderson, PhD, Professor of PM&R, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) mentoring an early career partnering PI, Robert Hoey, PhD, Assistant Professor of PM&R.*  This multi-disciplinary grant includes co-investigators, Dennis Bourbeau, PhD, Assistant Professor of PM&R, James Wilson, DO, Assistant Professor of PM&R, Ronnie Fass, MD, Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology), Douglas Gunzler, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Population Health Research Institute), and collaborators Ms. Megan Moynahan (CWRU Institute for Functional Restoration) and M. Kristi Henzel, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of PM&R (VA Northeast Ohio) as well as community partners with SCI lived experience (Ms. Amy Binko and Mr. Jason Shaw).

*Pending CWRU review and approval.

9-2-2022

Dr. Yang awarded $2.1 million NIH grant to study the cause of lung cancer from cigarette smoke

Chengfeng Yang, PhD, staff scientist in the Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Medicine, was awarded a $2.1 million, 5-year grant from National Institutes of Health. The goal of the project is to study how exposure to hexavalent chromium, a common environmental and occupational pollutant and a carcinogen occurring in cigarette smoke, causes lung cancer. 

Hexavalent chromium is classified as a Group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The mechanism of chromium carcinogenicity, however, has not been well understood. The proposed studies focus on understanding the role of increased chemical modifications (mainly methylation) in ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules in hexavalent chromium exposure-caused lung cancer. While the importance of chemical modifications in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and proteins in cancer has been well appreciated, our understanding on the significance of chemical modifications in RNAs in cancer is limited and still in the infant stage. This research project will use genetically-modified cell and mouse models and human lung cancer tissue samples to demonstrate the importance of increased RNA modification (methylation) in lung cancer initiation and progression. 

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer resulting in the most cancer-related death in the US among men and women.The findings from this research will offer a better understanding of how lung cancer develops, and potentially identify better strategies to prevent and treat lung cancer. 

Dr. Chengfeng Yang is a member of Molecular Oncology Research Program at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). His co-investigators include Zhishan Wang, MD, PhD, staff scientist in the Division of Cancer Biology, Department of Medicine; and Caroline Abramovich, MD, Staff Pathologist and Director of Surgical Pathology, Department of Pathology, MetroHealth Medical Center.

9-1-2022

Drs. Niu and Fass receive NIH funding to study racial and ethnic disparities in liver cancer surveillance

Dr. Bolin Niu, Director of Hepatology and Dr. Ronnie Fass, Director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, are Site Principal Investigators (PI) for a NIH funded multi-center project entitled “Racial and Ethnic disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance among patients with cirrhosis across five safety net organizations”. The project aims to investigate mechanistic drivers of racial and ethnic disparities in hepatocellular cancer screening among safety net patients with cirrhosis by comprehensively investigating patient, provider and system level factors that contribute to sub-optimal hepatocellular cancer screening. The PI of this $3.2 million R01 award is Robert John Wong, MD, staff physician in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. 

Dr. Niu is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Dr. Fass is Professor of Medicine at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

9-1-2022

Blake Perkins, PT, DPT, ATP awarded a $200,000 Craig H. Neilsen Grant to Establish an Assistive Technology Clinic

On August 29th Blake Perkins, PT, DPT, ATP, clinical and research physical therapist at the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute, the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research and the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, was awarded a $200,000 grant through the Creating Opportunity & Independence portfolio of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. The 2-year award is entitled "Clinical and Community-Collaborative Assistive Technology Provision in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)." The grant will be used to establish an Assistive Technology Clinic to support people with SCI, with $55,000 earmarked toward new equipment. The clinic will provide on-site trials of various assistive technologies, promoting exposure and access to those that improve home automation and environmental control. With clinic leadership from Dr. Perkins, the project will formally integrate the technical and practical expertise of community members living with SCI, and collaborate with community resources including the SCI Volunteer Corps of Cleveland State University Engineering program, the Benjamin S. Gerson Family Resource Center, and the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the United Spinal Association throughout provision efforts. This project will provide a foundation and springboard for an enduring assistive technology program as part of the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute. In the future its mission can be expanded to serve individuals with other disability conditions. Additional contributors and advisors to this project include James Wilson, DO, Anne Bryden, PhD, OTR/L, and Eric Schearer, PhD.

8-1-2022

Dr. DiMarco Receives NIH Neuromodulation Prize

Anthony DiMarco, MD, staff scientist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research, was selected as a Phase 1 winner for the Neuromod Prize, an initiative from the NIH Common Fund’s Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) program. The $100,000 phase I competition was part of a larger $9.8 million competition designed to accelerate the development of targeted neuromodulation therapies. The first phase called on scientists, engineers, and clinicians to submit novel concepts and plans for development. Eight applications were selected out of 45 total submissions.

In recognition of his team’s proposed solution entitled “High-frequency spinal cord stimulation reduces respiratory tract infections and improves bowel management in people with neurological impairment,” Dr. DiMarco has received an exclusive invitation to participate in Phase 2 of the competition. The second phase of the competition will involve Phase 1 winners building on their submissions by conducting proof-of-concept studies. Up to four Phase 2 winners may be selected to advance to Phase 3. The competition will also provide additional resources to help accelerate and develop their solution.

Dr. DiMarco is Professor of PM&R at Case Western Reserve University. His Co-investigator is Krzysztof Kowalski, PhD, Clinical Professor of PM&R. 

6-21-2022

R. Erin Fogarty, MA, CRA, GISF, Executive Director, Research and Sponsored Programs

Please join me in welcoming R. Erin Fogarty, MA, Executive Director of Research and Sponsored Programs at the MetroHealth Research Institute. Ms. Fogarty joins us from Case Western Reserve University where she was Assistant Dean and Senior Director, Grants and Contracts, in the School of Medicine since 2017. She brings with her a wealth of experience and skills that will allow the Research Institute elevate to the next level of strategic growth and operational efficiency. Her prior experience as Director of Pre-award at the Georgetown University Medical Center Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center will be invaluable as we prepare to become a full member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. Ms. Fogarty also has expertise in information security with substantial experience in risk management, compliance and training.

I want to thank Peter Koch, MBA, for his 4-years of service as Director and Executive Director of Research and Sponsored Programs. He arrived at an especially critical and vulnerable period in the history of the Research Institute, and provided the much-needed operational stability in the midst of major leadership and strategic transitions. Mr. Koch will be returning to Cincinnati in order to be closer to his growing family.

John Chae, MD
VP, Research and Sponsored Programs
MetroHealth Research Institute

4-21-2022

India Eaton, MS appointed Manager, Protection of Human Subjects Program

I am very pleased to announce that India Eaton, MS has been appointed Manager, Protection of Human Subjects Program. Ms. Eaton received her BS in Biology-Medical Technology and MS in Health Sciences from the Cleveland State University, College of Science and Health Professions. She joined The MetroHealth System in December of 2015 as an Institutional Review Board Specialist. She has served superbly as Interim Manager, Human Research Protection Program, since November of 2021. Ms. Eaton will work closely with System Institutional Official (Bernard Boulanger, MD), VP of Research and Sponsored Programs (John Chae, MD), Department Chairs, members of the IRB, Principal Investigators, and research staff to ensure that human subject research conducted at The MetroHealth System meets the requirements for human subject protection by the Public Health Service, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA.

John Chae, MD
VP, Research and Sponsored Program
The MetroHealth System

4/19/2022

MetroHealth Begins Work on Northeast Ohio's Only CAR T-Cell Cancer Lab, Opening Set for September

The MetroHealth System this week began work on its new CAR T-cell cancer lab, which promises to bring cutting-edge treatment to cancer patients of all backgrounds while also fulfilling a key promise of the Innovation District.

Construction began to renovate labs in MetroHealth’s Rammelkamp Research Center. The CAR T-cell labs are expected to open in September. MetroHealth will be the only hospital in Northeast Ohio to produce its own cells in this groundbreaking treatment, and only the second public hospital in the United States to offer it.

“This innovation allows The MetroHealth System to continue as one of the nation's pioneers in research and to make outstanding medical testing, screening and cancer treatment available to a large, diverse population and, in many cases, to patients who haven’t had access in the past,” said William Tse, MD, MetroHealth’s director of hematology/oncology.

The new lab will produce cellular- and vector-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is different from chemotherapy or radiation. It is a way to get a type of white blood cell called T-cells to fight cancer by changing them in a lab so they can find and destroy cancer cells.

According to the American Cancer Society, the immune system recognizes foreign substances in the body by finding proteins called antigens. T-cells have their own proteins called receptors that attach to foreign antigens and help trigger other parts of the immune system to destroy the foreign substance.

Each foreign antigen has a unique immune receptor that is able to bind to it. Cancer cells also have antigens, but if your immune cells don't have the right receptors, they can't attach to the antigens and help destroy the cancer cells.

In this form of treatment, blood is drawn from a patient. T-cells are extracted and then changed by adding a gene, which helps the T-cells attach to a specific cancer cell antigen and fight the cancer. Those cells are grown and multiplied in the lab over several weeks and then put back into the patient.

This relatively new treatment is viewed as having less side effects than chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

This immunotherapy treatment has typically been only available to patients with extensive insurance plans. With its diverse patient base, MetroHealth will be able to offer this groundbreaking treatment to a much larger group of patients than is typical. It will also permit MetroHealth to better prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Part of the funding for the project comes from JobsOhio, the state’s economic development corporation. The project is part of the Innovation District, a partnership between MetroHealth, Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland State University and University Hospitals

2-19-2022

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Ranked #2 in NIH Funding

The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the MetroHealth System (MHS) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) moved up one spot to number 2 in the nation in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding among PM&R departments in U.S. Medical Schools. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings, released in February of each year, are based on data released by the NIH for all active awards during the 2021 fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2020 and ended September 30, 2021. The Department of PM&R at CWRU is based at the MHS and is housed within the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute, whose mission is to restore function, societal participation and quality of life for persons with significant neurological and musculoskeletal impairments and functional limitations. The Institute is committed to a transdisciplinary approach that delivers outstanding rehabilitation care, trains the next generation of rehabilitation clinicians and scientists, and discovers new knowledge that translates to clinical practice. The US News and World Report ranked the MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute as the top Rehabilitation Hospital in OH and #24 nationally.

The MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research, the research arm of the Institute, is world renowned for the development and clinical implementation of sophisticated electrical stimulation systems that reanimate paralyzed muscles; restore limb, trunk, respiratory, bowel and bladder function; and facilitate neurological recovery following stroke, brain injury and spinal cord injury (SCI). More recent initiatives include interventions for the treatment of chronic pain and cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction in the non-neurologically impaired populations. The research program within the Center is staffed by biomedical, electrical and mechanical engineers, neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, nurses, occupational therapists, orthopedic surgeons, physiatrists, physical therapists and social scientists. 

The MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research presently has over $54 million in extramural research funding with two thirds awarded by the NIH. Independent Investigators in the Center, defined as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI of a NIH R01 or equivalent award, include (1):

Kimberly Anderson, PhD, Professor of PM&R: Perspectives of people living with SCI and electrical stimulation for motor recovery in SCI (DoD) and SCI Model Systems (NIDILRR)

• Niloy Bhadra, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of PM&R: Electrical nerve block (NIH)
• Dennis Bourbeau, PhD, Assistant Professor of PM&R: Electrical stimulation for bladder function in SCI (NIH, VA)
• Anthony DiMarco, MD, Professor of PM&R & Physiology/Biophysics: Respiratory neuroprosthesis for SCI (NIH)
• Michael Fu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering and PM&R: Therapeutic human interfaces for paralysis (NSF) 
• Nathan Makowski, PhD, Assistant Professor of PM&R: Lower limb neuroprosthesis for stroke (NIH)
• Kevin Kilgore, PhD, Professor of Orthopedics, PM&R and BME: Upper limb neuroprosthesis for SCI and electrical nerve block (NIH, FDA)
• Jayme Knutson, PhD, Associate Professor of PM&R: Electrical stimulation for hemiparesis (NIH, VA)
• P. Hunter Peckham, PhD, Professor of BME emeritus: Upper limb neuroprosthesis for SCI (NIH)
• James Sulzer, PhD, Associate Professor of PM&R:2 Lower limb function, exoskeletons in hemiparesis (NIH)
• Tina Vrabec, PhD, Assistant Professor of PM&R: Electrical nerve block (NIH)
• James Wilson, DO, Assistant Professor of PM&R: SCI Model Systems (NIDILRR)
• Richard Wilson, MD, Professor of PM&R: Peripheral nerve stimulation for musculoskeletal pain (NIH)

1This list only includes those investigators who are employed or funded by The MetroHealth System
2Starts June, 2022; academic rank pending CWRU review

1/19/22

MetroHealth Awarded NIH Funding to Study Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Screening for Liver Cancer

Dr. Bolin Niu, Director of Hepatology and Dr. Ronnie Fass, Director of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, are Site Principal Investigators (PI) for a $3.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the prevalence and causes of racial and ethnic disparities in screening for liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis.

MetroHealth is one of five safety net health care organizations participating in the study. The study will investigate patient, provider and system level factors contributing to the lower levels of liver cancer screening in minority populations with cirrhosis.

Robert John Wong, MD, staff physician in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University is the Principal Investigator.

The multi-center project is titled "Racial and Ethnic disparities in hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance among patients with cirrhosis across five safety net organizations." Dr. Niu is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Dr. Fass is Professor of Medicine at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

1-1-2022

Kevin Kilgore, Brian Smith, and Cindy Chestek Awarded $12.5M Grant from NIH SPARC Program

Kevin Kilgore, PhD, staff scientist in the MetroHealth Center for Rehabilitation Research and the Departments of Orthopedics and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), was awarded a Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI), three-year, $12.5 million National Institutes of Health grant entitled "The Cleveland Open Source Modular Implant Innovators Community (COSMIIC)." Dr. Kilgore is the contact PI and Brian Smith, BSc (Hons) in Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and Cindy Chestek, PhD in the Department of BME at the University of Michigan are MPIs. 

The goal of this grant is to establish the first open source, modular network of active implantable devices for use in pre-clinical and early feasibility human research, and to provide ongoing support for this technology through a vibrant, sustainable community of users.  The concept is based on a modular implantable system, the Networked Neuroprosthesis (NNP), that was developed at CWRU by Kevin Kilgore, Brian Smith, and P. Hunter Peckham, PhD.  The COSMIIC project will also develop new modules that significantly expand the capacity of the original NNP System for application to a broad range of diseases and disabilities.

The award was made through the NIH Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC) program under the U41 mechanism.  The project includes a broad investigative team in Cleveland at CWRU, The MetroHealth System, the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System (VANOHS), and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine; as well as investigators at the University of Michigan and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Dr. Kilgore is Professor of Orthopedics and PM&R at CWRU; Mr. Smith is Director of Active Implantable Systems, in the department of BME at CWRU; and Dr. Chestek is Associate Professor of BME at the University of Michigan.