Mapping brain-to-spinal cord connections after spinal cord injury
Official title: Global analysis of the supraspinal connectome after spinal cord injury
Funded at Marquette University · NIH-11251775 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project maps and measures the brain neurons that connect to the spinal cord to understand how those connections change after spinal cord injury and to guide future treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Marquette University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $547,315 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS134230-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251775 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with spinal cord injury who want to follow research progress or be candidates for later clinical trials aiming at brain-to-spine pathway therapies.
✕Less likely to help
People without spinal cord injury or those whose condition does not involve disrupted descending brain-spinal pathways are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, researchers will use advanced 3D imaging of whole brains and spinal cords in laboratory models to visualize every population of brain cells that send signals down to the spine. They will use new viral tools to label and selectively control different types of these brain-spinal neurons so they can count which ones survive after mild to severe injuries. The team will compare animals with different injury severities and with or without rehabilitation to link specific pathways to recovery of movement. Sophisticated data analysis will be used to find which brain pathways support, oppose, or compensate for function after injury so future therapies can target the most helpful circuits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific brain-spinal pathways to target with therapies that improve recovery after spinal cord injury.
How similar studies have gone: Past studies targeting single descending tracts have shown some benefit, but a comprehensive whole-connectome approach like this is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Marquette University
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blackmore, Murray G — Marquette University
- Study coordinator: Blackmore, Murray G
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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.