As a leading research university, Brown has a mission to generate global impact through discovery, innovation, and the creation of knowledge.
From brain science to engineering to public health and beyond, research at Brown takes on complex challenges and unanswered questions every day. Our deeply collaborative approach gives us a unique ability to test innovative ideas, and we seamlessly turn findings into real solutions. As a direct result, lives are changed—and saved.
Grant funding—whether from federal agencies, like the National Institutes of Health, or corporate and foundation sources—is a major reason that Brown is able to successfully conduct this groundbreaking work.
From transforming our understanding of health and disease, to fueling medical breakthroughs, to improving approaches to policy and education, here are just five ways that grant-funded research at Brown has a direct impact on our lives today.
1. Translating scientific discovery about the brain into life-changing solutions for serious neurological conditions
Through research involving Brown scientists and alumni, a brain-computer interface allowed a man with ALS to ‘speak’ again. The system translates brain signals into words, with up to 97% accuracy, making it a major breakthrough for people with severe speech loss. The study is part of the BrainGate clinical trial which is directed by Leigh Hochberg ’90, a professor at the School of Engineering who is also affiliated with the Carney Institute for Brain Science.
Another research team at Brown has been working with 3-D cultures of neural cells, basically functional mini-brains, to study the effects of compression injuries. Though a common type of brain injury—often caused by stroke, tumors, or head trauma—these injuries are difficult to study because their damage develops over time. Led by Diane Hoffman-Kim, an associate professor of neuroscience and engineering, the team has found a way to model compression injuries through these mini-brains, generating life-saving information on how it might be possible to prevent, diagnose, and treat them.