Neuroscience Research Institute
2024 Impact Report
Neuroscience Research Institute:
Advancing the treatment of neurological disease and injury through innovative research and educational initiatives
Mission:
• To create a world-class infrastructure and collaborative community that facilitates interdisciplinary research of neurological disease and injury
• To build bridges between innovative translational neuroscience research and clinical implementation
• To foster educational and professional development opportunities for junior investigators in the field
Director Ben Segal, MD; Associate Director Erica Bell, PhD
Leadership and organizational structure
LEADERSHIP
Benjamin Segal, MD Chair, Neurology Director, Neuroscience Research Institute
Erica Bell, PhD
Associate Professor, Neurology Associate Director, Neuroscience Research Institute
Translational Research and Cross-Collaborations Committee
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Benjamin Segal, MD Chair, Neurology Director, Neuroscience Research Institute
Erica Bell, PhD
Associate Professor, Neurology Associate Director, Neuroscience Research Institute
Russ Lonser, MD Chair, Neurosurgery
Luan Phan, MD Chair, Psychiatry
COMMITTEE STRUCTURE
Leadership Council
Biorepository, Brain Bank, and Integrated Database Committee
Phil Popovich, PhD Chair, Neuroscience
John Sheridan, PhD Director, IBMR
Elaine Mardis, PhD Co-Director, Nationwide Children’s Hospital–Institute of Genomic Medicine
Anne Connolly, MD Chief of Neurology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Sayoko Moroi, MD, PhD Chair, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Education and Mentorship Committee
Neuroscience at Ohio State is growing
Affiliated research funding increased by about 35% year over year.
Seed grants
$375,000 in seed grants have been awarded since 2021
•
15 Grants Awarded
8 Junior Faculty Awardees
7 Postdoctoral Scholar/Research Scientist Awardees
7 Departments Represented
Cancer Biology and Genetics
• Institute of Genomic Medicine (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
• Neurology
• Neuroscience
• Neurosurgery
• Pediatric Neurology (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)
• Psychiatry (Institute of Behavioral Medicine and Research)
Two trainee winners have secured roles with the NIH and as faculty.
Additional funding has stemmed from NRI seed grants including a Department of Defense grant and two NIH Research Career Development Awards, collectively amounting to more than $2 million in extramural funding. •
Brain Bank and Biorepository by the numbers
Providing neuroscience education opportunities
Educational Symposiums
Neurogenetics Symposium – Sept. 2021
Neuroimaging Symposium – Oct. 2022
Neuroimmunology Symposium – June 2023
Health Services Research – May 2024
Neurodegeneration – coming in 2025
Translational Neuroscience Research Short Course
This rigorous, enrollment capped, multidisciplinary neuroscience translational research training provides trainees and faculty the skills needed to advance their diagnostic capabilities and effective management of neurological disorders.
70 Participants
10 Departments Represented
2024 NRI Annual Retreat
Held on November 15, the NRI Annual Retreat was attended by students, faculty, researchers and clinicians from across Ohio State and Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Advanced interdisciplinary and translational research collaboration tools
Unique, innovative resources enhance collaboration across the institution
Rapid Sequencing Pipeline
The rapid sequencing pipeline allows NRI staff to efficiently process fresh blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) using the 10x Genomics platform. This includes TCR and BCR sequencing, providing valuable insights for neuroimmunological research. Currently, the pipeline is supporting a funded grant focused on immunophenotyping individuals with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, as well as an investigator-initiated trial (IIT) targeting rare neuroimmune disorders.
Collaboration Tool
The NRI web-based collaboration tool connects researcher collaborators focused on translational neuroscience research projects. It also supports experimental design of translational projects.
Learn more about NRI tools and resources
Ficoll
Ongoing projects and collaborations
Projects
• Markers of Biological Aging in Multiple Sclerosis (PI: Zhang)
• Impact of central nervous system injury on form and function of the neuromuscular junction (PIs: Quatman and Balch)
• Understanding the genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease (PI: Park)
• Validation of a cell-free messenger-RNA based diagnostic biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease (PIs: Bell, Scharre, Harari)
• Skin fibroblast isolation for the derivation of induced-pluripotent stem cells for tissue culture models of Neurological disease (PI: Kolb)
Collaborations
• Superfluid Dx superfluiddx.com
• Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) gp2.org/
• State of Ohio Action for Resiliency (SOAR) biospecimen storage medicine.osu.edu/departments/psychiatry-and-behavioral-health/ research-and-clinical-trials/soar-study
• The FASEB Journal faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15306860
• Acta Neuropathologica link.springer.com/journal/401
• Nature Neuroscience nature.com/neuro/
Photos from 2024 NRI Annual Retreat
