MaineBA | Research Grants

Research Grants

The Maine Brain Aneurysm Awareness Committee is pleased to announce the 6th annual “KAT-Walk & Karo-5K Research Grant for 2018” was awarded to Dr. Robert Ecker and Dr. David Seder of the Maine Medical Center Neuroscience Institute at the Brain Aneurysm Awareness event on September 8, 2018 in Portland, Maine.

Project Title: Hemorrhagic Stroke and Structural Vascular Lesion Database

Clinicians at the MMC Neurosciences Institute are constantly seeking new and better ways to provide care for aneurysm and hemorrhagic stroke survivors. Leveraging data is integral to improving outcomes in so many areas of medicine. With generous funding from the Maine Brain Aneurysm Awareness Committee, MMC Neuroscience Institute will establish an apparatus to measure and analyze data from our own aneurysm/hemorrhagic stroke patients, enabling clinicians to track patterns around what it truly means to “return to normal.” Data points may include: regained independence, quality of life, headache, short-term memory loss, fatigue and concentration. The ability to track this information empowers clinicians and arms the MMC Neurosciences Institute with data specific to our own unique aneurysm and hemorrhagic stroke population, right here in Maine.

In 2017, the 5,000 research grant was awarded to Anand Rughani, MD, Neurosurgeon with Maine Medical Partners

In 2016, the $5,000 research grant went to Robert Ecker, MD, Medical Director of Maine Medical Center’s Neurosciences Institute.

In 2015, the $25,000 research grant went to Kimberly P. Kicielinski, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

In 2014, a $20,000 research grant went to Koji Hosaka, PhD, Dept. Neurosurgery, University of Florida.

In 2013, the inaugural “Maine’s KAT-Walk & Karo-5K Chair of Research” was established and a $25,000 grant was awarded to Chanannait Paisansathan, MD, University of Illinois at Chicago.

The research conducted thus far has been both basic science and clinical. To date, some exciting work has been produced in finding better ways to manage aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), vasospasm, and to understand the mechanism for aneurysm growth.

To all the many families that have participated and donated in the past, either to celebrate their survival or to remember their lost loved ones – thank you for joining us and for your support toward this vital research.