How the brain moves and stretches during severe impacts
Biomechanics of the Human Brain During High-Severity Impacts: A Multimodal Approach
This project measures how the brain moves and deforms during high-impact events to help protect people at risk of concussion.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Carolina at Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251995 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will use rapid MRI to image living volunteers while they undergo controlled, mild head accelerations to capture real-time brain motion. They'll also test cadaver brain specimens with tiny motion sensors (sonomicrometry) under stronger, concussion-level impacts to map tissue displacement. The team will combine these experimental measurements to build and improve computer models that predict where and how brain tissue strains during impacts. Those models can guide better helmet design and safety rules.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Healthy adults who can safely undergo MRI and tolerate controlled mild head accelerations—including athletes or military personnel at higher risk of head injury—are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with MRI-incompatible implants, pregnancy, or those currently recovering from moderate-to-severe TBI may be excluded or unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to improved protective gear, safer activity guidelines, and better ways to predict and prevent concussions.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has used MRI or cadaver measurements separately to map brain motion, but combining both data sources into validated predictive models is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Columbia, United States
- University of South Carolina at Columbia — Columbia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alshareef, Ahmed — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Alshareef, Ahmed
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.