RICHARD H. ADLER ATTORNEY AT LAW & ADLER GIERSCH LAW FIRM ENDOWED FUND FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY RESEARCH
2021 ANNOUNCEMENT PDF
Purpose: The purpose of this endowed fund is to provide support for efforts to find more effective evaluation and treatment protocols for those with traumatic brain injuries given the long term cognitive, behavioral, and physical consequences and impairments which may result from the underlying trauma. The fund is also intended to provide seed money and/or bridge funding for innovative, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and novel research with the potential to create leaps in knowledge to further the evaluation and treatment of traumatic brain injuries.
This endowment honors both Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington Medical Center for evaluating and treating past and present clients of Richard H. Adler Attorney at Law and the law firm of Adler Giersch, PS who have sustained and survived a traumatic brain injury and those who lost their lives from this type of trauma. In addition, this fund is a means for the donors of the fund to give back and ‘pay it forward’ for future clients and others with traumatic brain injuries.
Grants typically fund one year studies with the option of no-cost extension(s). All reasonable and necessary expenses that meet the stated “Purpose” in the above first paragraph will be considered for funding. Please note that funds must be used internally via a UW budget number. They cannot be used to establish contracts or sub-contracts with non-UW entities. If working with a group outside of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, please submit a letter of support from that group.
Awardees are expected to: (1) submit a yearly report to the Chair of the Selection Committee and (2) present a poster on funded research at the annual Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Justus F. Lehmann Symposium in May of each year where funds are used. Fund donors will be invited to all formal presentations of the funded project. Awardees will also have the opportunity to meet with all or some of the fund donors to learn about their interest in TBI evaluation and treatment at a mutually agreeable time and place at least once during the award period.
Eligibility: Faculty, residents, fellows, and graduate students within the University of Washington Rehabilitation Medicine, Neurosurgery, Neurology, or other UW Medicine departments and facilities who are engaged in the evaluation and treatment of those surviving traumatic brain injuries. Award recipients shall have demonstrated a commitment to traumatic brain injury research in accordance with the purpose outlined above. Preference will be given to (1) those early in their careers (i.e., graduate student through Assistant Professor), but not excluding those beyond the early phase of their career, and (2) those with a position/appointment in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, but not excluding those in other UW Medicine affiliated entities working in the area of traumatic brain injuries. Applicants who are early in their career must identify a mentor for the project.
Deadline: Proposals are due on December 1, 2021 by 5:00 PM. Awards will be announced approximately two weeks later.
Review: A department faculty Selection Committee will review the proposals and recommend funding priorities to the Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine who will make a final decision. The primary criteria for evaluation will be (1) the scientific merit of the proposal, (2) the degree of innovation and novelty of the proposed research in improving the evaluation and treatment of survivors of traumatic brain injuries, and (3) the feasibility of the proposed research given the available resources (all other resources available to the project should be detailed in the budget).
Applicants are advised to write their proposal at a level accessible to a generalist reviewer, who will not necessarily be an expert in the specific area of study. Consultants may also be enlisted to review the proposals should the Selection Committee deem this to be necessary.
Budgets: Up to three meritorious proposals will be considered for awards up to $7,500 each with proposals for smaller amounts encouraged. Awarded budgets may be adjusted based on merit and availability of funds. Selected proposals involving human subjects or animals must provide evidence of the necessary institutional review board approvals before funds can be released (Please note changes in human subjects restrictions related to COVID-19: https://www.washington.edu/research/hsd/covid-19/).
Questions: Questions regarding the application procedure should be directed to the Chair of the Selection Committee (Jeanne Hoffman, PhD, email: jeanneh@uw.edu; phone: 206 221-6511).
Application Procedure: Please submit your proposal via email to the Chair of the Selection Committee (Jeanne Hoffman, PhD, email: jeanneh@uw.edu). Send a single .pdf file containing all sections below. Title the file as follows: YOUR NAME_TBI Research Grant 2021. Late applications will not be accepted.
The proposal should include the following. All page limits refer to single-sided, single-spaced, Arial font size 11, and ¾” margins.
a. Cover letter (1 page maximum)
Include (a) the title of the project, (b) the applicant’s Department affiliation(s) and position/appointment, (c) a description of the applicant’s engagement in clinical care of survivors of the full range of traumatic brain injuries, (d) the relationship between the applicant and any mentors (if applicable), and (e) signatures of the applicant and mentor (if applicable).
b. Description of the Research Plan (3 pages maximum)
1) An introduction and rationale, including a statement regarding the applicant’s experience with and commitment to the evaluation and treatment of TBI.
2) Objectives (including specific hypotheses to be tested, if appropriate).
3) Procedures, including a time schedule.
4) Plan for analysis of results.
c. Budget and Budget Justification (1 page maximum)
If you request money for equipment, please describe where the equipment will be stored/used after your study. If you are planning to use this award to supplement another award, please describe the other funding (agency, amount, and how this award relates to the project).
d. Literature cited (1 page maximum)
Congratulations to Our Past Recipients!
2020
Investigating the Role of Diet in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Natasha Mehta, MD
Natasha Mehta, MD‘s proposal “Investigating the Role of Diet in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study” was chosen to receive the 2020 Adler Giersch Law Firm Endowed Fund for TBI Research. Dr. Mehta is the 2020-21 Rehabilitation Medicine TBI Fellow. She completed her residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the esteemed Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School) before moving upstate to Rochester, New York. It was in Rochester that she treated patients rehabilitating from stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries, neuromuscular disorders, and those dealing with chronic pain. Dr. Mehta is thrilled to have the opportunity to look at the impact diet may have on a healing brain after mild traumatic brain injury.
Primary Care Practice for Concussion Management: A Health Services Study at UW Medicine: Tracy Herring, PhD and Orli Shulein, MS, CCC-SLP
The proposal from Tracy Herring, PhD and Orli Shulein, MS, CCC-SLP, “Primary Care Practice for Concussion Management: A Health Services Study at UW Medicine” was chosen to receive the 2020 Adler Giersch Law Firm Endowed Fund for TBI Research. Together, Dr. Herring and Ms. Shulein will investigate the extent to which UW Medicine primary care providers are following concussion practice guidelines for referral to specialty providers. It also seeks to understand if race and/or ethnicity influence referrals patterns. This project will provide valuable pilot data for health services research designed to optimize treatments for individuals who have sustained a concussion.
Tracy Herring, PhD, is a rehabilitation psychology postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at UW. Dr. Herring works clinically with individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Her research interests include non-pharmacological management of symptoms and enhancing quality of life.
Orli Shulein, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist pursing her PhD in Rehabilitation Science. Ms. Shulein works clinically with adults who continue to suffer persistent symptoms following concussion. Her research interests explore biopsychosocial factors that influence early concussion recovery.
Using Automated Pupilometery for Prediction of Intracranial Pressure in Severe TBI: Madeline Greil, MD
The proposal from Madeline Greil, MD entitled “Using Automated Pupilometery for Prediction of Intracranial Pressure in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury” was chosen to receive the 2020 Adler Giersch Law Firm Endowed Fund for TBI Research. Invasive intracranial pressure monitors are inserted by neurosurgeons to measure intracranial pressure in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The automated pupillometer is a hand-held device that measures the pupillary light reflex and calculates a quantitative measure of pupil reactivity. This project aims to investigate the ability of automated pupillometry measurements to predict elevated intracranial pressure in severe TBI patients as measured on an invasive intracranial pressure monitor.
Dr. Greil is a fourth year neurosurgery resident at the University of Washington. She grew up in Western New York State. She attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio where she earned her medical degree. During medical school she gained her first exposure to the operating room and instantly knew she wanted to be a surgeon. She continued to pursue her interest in the nervous system and was happy to discover that neurosurgery fit with her career goals, allowing her to treat complex patients with acute presentations.
2019
Congratulations to John Williams, MD, for being the 2019 recipient of the Richard Adler Attorney at Law and Adler Giersch Law Firm Endowed Research Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury Research.
Dr. Williams’ proposal “Examination of traumatic axonal lesions on CT and MRI following severe TBI for prognostication of outcome” was chosen to receive the 2019 Adler Giersch Law Firm Endowed Fund for TBI Research. Dr. Williams is Chief Resident of Neurosurgery at UW. Initially intent on pursuing a career in public health and primary care, outstanding mentorship in neurosurgery inspired his decision to train in Seattle under Dr. Richard Ellenbogen. Dr. Williams plans to use the research grant award to look at early CT and MRI images in people who had a severe TBI. A better understanding of early injury could guide how clinicians advise families about TBI recovery.
2018
Congratulations to CJ Plummer, MD, for being the 2018 recipient of the inaugural Richard Adler Attorney at Law and Adler Giersch Law Firm Endowed Research Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury Research.
Dr. Plummer is a former TBI Fellow at Harborview Medical Center between 2017-18 and he is currently an assistant professor in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department at Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital. He practices brain injury medicine, and his clinical interests range from spasticity management, lifestyle medicine and community reintegration for patients from across the full spectrum of sustained traumatic and acquired brain injuries. Dr. Plummer plans to use the funding to expand a student-centered return-to-learn protocol for high school students who have had a concussion. This project will help identify students with concussions and provide a pathway for returning to school safely.
