Physics-based approach for understanding directed energy traumatic brain injury

The U.S. Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) awarded a $6,477,030 Project Grant on November 1, 2024 under the Basic and Applied Scientific Research program (CFDA 12.300) to the University of Wisconsin System for a project titled "Physics-Based Approach for Understanding Directed Energy Traumatic Brain Injury".

The project aims to advance the understanding of how exposures to directed energy affect the primary injury risk of neuron substructures and their microenvironment using molecular-level computational modeling. Key focus areas include studying the effects of temperature changes and electrical currents on neuron substructures, as well as investigating the use of molecular diffusion characteristics as a potential biomarker for directed energy-induced damage. The University of Texas at Arlington is a sub-awardee on the project, conducting research related to the effects of temperature and mechanical damage on molecular diffusion in neuron cells.