Early Career Researcher Grants

Early Career Researcher Grants is sponsored by Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research. Provides funding for early-career researchers within five years of completing their PhD or equivalent, focusing on brain injury research.

Early Career Researcher Grants — Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research Applicants must be early-career researchers within 5 years of completing their PhD or equivalent degree, within 5 years of completing a post-doctoral fellowship, or within 5 years of completing residency training for MDs. Current post-doctoral fellows are eligible to apply. Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to brain injury research.

Applicants must be affiliated with an accredited research institution in the Pittsburgh region . Please note that the Foundation does not fund indirect costs.

Wireless, Self-Powered, Metamaterial Intracranial Pressure Sensor for Traumatic Brain Injuries Dr. Nitin Agarwal, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center This research focuses on creating a tiny, implantable sensor that can monitor brain pressure in real time without the need for batteries or wires.

It works by converting natural pressure changes in the brain’s fluid into electrical signals using a special nanogenerator, allowing doctors to track brain health more accurately and continuously. Agarwal believes this innovation could lead to earlier detection of problems in patients with traumatic brain injuries and better, more timely treatment decisions.

Targeting Cerebellar Pathway Disruptions after Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Dr. Ashley Russell, University of Pittsburgh Safar Center This research explores how repeated mild brain injuries, common in sports and military settings, can damage the cerebellum—a part of the brain involved in emotion and thinking—leading to long-term cognitive and psychological problems.

Using a mouse model, the team is studying how these injuries cause inflammation in the cerebellum and whether a drug called low-dose naltrexone can reduce that inflammation and help the brain heal. The goal is to better understand the long-term impact of these injuries and test a possible treatment to support recovery.

Cervical Spinal Cord Stimulation for Upper Limb Motor Recovery Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Dr. Evan Rogers, University of Pittsburgh Dr. Rogers’ research aims to restore hand movement in people paralyzed by spinal cord injuries by directly stimulating the spinal cord using tiny implanted electrodes—a method called intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS).

Unlike current treatments that can't achieve fine hand control, this approach targets specific spinal areas to more precisely activate hand muscles. The team will use computer modeling and animal testing to develop and validate improved stimulation techniques, with the goal of making this a future treatment for restoring hand function.

Cervical Spinal Cord Stimulation for Upper Limb Moto Recovery Following Brain Injury Dr. Roberto Martins de Freitas, University of Pittsburgh This research explores whether non-invasive electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can help people with long-term arm and hand movement problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

By targeting the cervical spine using surface electrodes, the study will test if this method can improve strength, reduce muscle tightness, and enhance coordination. The findings could lead to new treatment options—both wearable and implantable devices—to support recovery of upper limb function in people living with chronic effects of TBI.