With new funding from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, an interdisciplinary initiative led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison will continue to grow its research on concussions and other traumatic brain injuries, according to a press release.
Christian Franck, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison, started the initiative, called PANTHER, in 2017. Under his leadership, it has grown to include more than 30 principal investigators nationwide, bringing together scientists from academia, industry, and government to study traumatic brain injuries through a range of approaches.
The U.S. Office of Naval Research has awarded PANTHER new grants totaling $15 million, allowing the researchers to advance their groundbreaking work in developing better technologies for detecting and preventing traumatic brain injuries.
The initiative’s researchers work closely with industry partners to rapidly translate fundamental scientific discoveries from the lab into next-generation consumer products that will protect the brain from injury.
For example, helmet manufacturer Team Wendy has developed a prototype of a more protective helmet liner that’s informed by PANTHER research results. And industry partners Trek Bicycle and Milwaukee Tool each have new helmets in development that incorporate insights from PANTHER researchers.
