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Philanthropic seed
funding leads to
far-reaching impact
“The seed funding enables us to
pursue meaningful clinical research,”
Dr. Driver said. “I am very grateful for
that, as it is extremely challenging to
Two researchers at Baylor Scott &
White Health received prestigious
federal grants to further their work,
largely because of the promising
data they initially collected through
“pilot” projects that were funded by
philanthropic contributions to Baylor
secure grant funding. As a researcher,
if you are fortunate enough to receive
this, you are already steps ahead in the
process.”
Life-Changing Care After
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Dr. Driver’s data gathering led to a
Health Care System Foundation. federal grant that will fund Baylor
rehabilitation research and the S c ot t & W h i te In s ti tu te fo r
Simon Driver, Ph.D., director of
Ginger Murchison Chair for Traumatic
Brain Injury Research at Baylor Scott
& White Institute for Rehabilitation,
and Ajay Goel, Ph.D., Baylor Scott
& White Research Institute’s (BSWRI)
d i r e c to r
of
the
C e n te r
for
Gastrointestinal Research and the
Center for Translational Genomics
and Oncology, received philanthropic
Scott & White Health and Baylor
Rehabilitation researchers, along
with five other facilities, in a
nationwide, $12.7 million study to
improve post-acute care for patients
suffering TBI. After a patient is
discharged from the hospital with a
TBI, a clear path for coordinated care
does not exist.
“A lot of it falls on the family, which
seed funding which provided them is already overwhelmed,” Dr. Driver
scale, potentially life -altering grant allows us to identify if patients
with the opportunity to pursue larger-
projects.
Drs. Driver and Goel are involved in
different sides of research – Dr. Driver
focuses on clinical research with
patients after traumatic brain injuries
( TBI), and Dr. Goel conducts
translational research to better
prevent,
detect
and
gastrointestinal cancers.
treat
said. “This is a national issue, and the
anxiety and depression.
“We believe this research initiative
will significantly benefit our patients
and families,” Dr. Driver said.
Early Detection Test for Pancreatic
Cancer
Seed funding from Baylor Health
Care System Foundation gave Dr.
Goel the chance to study 20 to 30
patients and use that data as proof
of principle to secure a $5.13 million
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
grant. Through this grant, a group of
the nation’s pre mie r ca nce r
researchers, led by BSWRI and the
Translational Genomics Research
Institute, is developing an early
detection system for pancreatic
cancer, the nation’s third-leading
cause of cancer-related death. This
research has the potential to
profoundly transform early detection
of pancreatic cancer by creating a
non-invasive, rapid, accurate and
inexpensive blood test.
“Philanthropic funding helped
who work with a care manager for six position us to engage in a much
post-TBI report better participation in patients,” said Dr. Goel, the study’s
months after discharge from rehab
their lives, such as community with
friends, greater quality of life and
larger study with thousands of
principal investigator.
Dr. Goel and the team will be
improved health outcomes.” working on a panel of markers – a
to see if the provision of a care exosomal markers – for detection of
The study also engages caregivers
manager reduces stress, burden,
8
combination of microRNAs and
pancreatic cancer.