The UF Brain Injury, Rehabilitation, and Neuroresilience (BRAIN) Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Big Ideas Initiative, a competitive seed funding program that supports forward-thinking, interdisciplinary research in brain injury and neuroresilience. Funded by Florida’s Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust Fund (BSCIRTF), this initiative seeks to accelerate new approaches and collaborations that push the field in bold new directions.
Congratulations to the two selected project teams, whose innovative proposals stood out for their creativity, collaborative vision, and potential to advance the science and impact of brain injury research.
Building a VA/UF Data Science Core for Brain Health
This project will establish a secure, centralized data science core to support brain health research through collaboration between the Veterans Affairs health system and the University of Florida. By integrating VA clinical data with UF’s strengths in neurology, rehabilitation, and aging research, the initiative will create a robust platform for advancing research on traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurodegeneration, and recovery. The project is led by Dr. David J. Clark, Professor in the UF Department of Neurology and Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System. His research centers on neurological recovery and the use of innovative analytics and tools to improve outcomes in older adults with brain injury.
REWIRED – Revealing Early Warning Signs from Brain Injury: Risk for Executive Dysfunction and Drug Abuse
This exploratory study will investigate how early brain injury may disrupt executive function and increase vulnerability to substance use disorders. Through a combination of neuropathological, behavioral, and translational approaches, the team aims to uncover early biological and behavioral markers that can inform future interventions. The study is led by Dr. Servio H. Ramirez, Mary and Bryan Whisenant Distinguished Professor in the UF Department of Pathology, Immunology, and Laboratory Medicine, and Co-Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (Immunology & Microbiology concentration). His lab explores the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and vascular biology in brain injury and neurodegenerative disease.
These projects exemplify the BRAIN Center’s mission to support impactful, interdisciplinary research and to catalyze the next generation of advances in brain injury care and discovery.
