Federal Grant Award Summary

The University of Kentucky Research Foundation received a $192,500 Project Grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders program (CFDA 93.853), effective February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2028. This award supports a two-year research investigation examining the mechanisms by which repetitive mild blast traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to chronic neurovascular dysfunction, with particular attention to how secondary physiological stressors unmask latent pathology. The research employs a well-established mouse model of repetitive mild blast TBI followed by sleep fragmentation as a translatable stressor, with pharmacological intervention using MW151, a central nervous system-targeted anti-inflammatory compound, to test whether neuroinflammation mediates the transition from subclinical pathology to overt disease.

The research deliverables include comprehensive assessments of neurovascular unit dysfunction across multiple investigative aims, utilizing the McMillan blast device to reproduce the widespread vascular injury patterns characteristic of human TBI. This project addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding the variable latent period between initial TBI injury and emergence of long-term behavioral, cognitive, and neurodegenerative changes, with findings intended to inform therapeutic strategies targeting inflammation-mediated neurovascular pathology relevant to both military-associated and civilian TBI populations.