Proposed is the West Virginia Stroke CoBRE (here after called the Stroke CoBRE) with a focus area of stroke. The Stroke CoBRE was initiated as an essential part of the Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research (CBTSR), a newly formed Center that is focused on enhancing basic and translational stroke research on the West Virginia University (WVU) campus to reduce the burden of stroke. Our approach is to address the mechanisms by which risk factors, particularly prevalent in our Appalachian population, affect stroke and thereby to decipher mechanisms of these risk factors and potential treatments that target these mechanisms. We envision that the CBTSR will become a national center of excellence in basic and translational stroke research that addresses bench to bed-side to community Issues in stroke. This will be accomplished through the development of junior Investigators to research Independence, and the development of core resources that support the WVU stroke research community, thereby enhancing resources and personnel devoted to stroke research at the WVU to achieve programmatic research activities. Three cores and five research projects are proposed. The Administrative Core will manage the various aspects of the Stroke CoBRE, including an intense junior faculty mentoring program, advisory committees and program evaluation. The Experimental Stroke Core will provide resources, expertise and experimental stroke procedures to junior Investigators as well as to the WVU neuroscience and cardiovascular research community. The Biostatistics Core will provide critical biostatistical support during the design and conduct of the junior Investigator-Initiated projects. The research projects proposed eminate from 5 junior Investigators who are committed to developing independent research programs through the CoBRE mechanism. Collectively, their research projects address the linked areas of stroke prediction, causes, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation. The program-as-a-whole has a well-developed and Intensive mentoring program and a rigorous summative and formative evaluation program. Institutional support is also proposed, in the form of faculty hires, facilities construction and monitary contributions.

Stroke CoBRE | Office of Research and Graduation Education | West Virginia University (wvu.edu)