The Pediatric Neuromodulation Laboratory at the Waisman Center received a $50,000 Translational Basic and Clinical Research Pilot Award from the UW Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) to advance early motor rehabilitation in infants with perinatal brain injury, a major cause of cerebral palsy. The study, “Harnessing Early Neuroplasticity in Infants with Perinatal Brain Injury: A Pilot Study of Combined Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS) and Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS),” explores early treatment of infants with birth-related brain injuries that could help harness the brain’s ability to change and adapt after injury.
The project is led by Bernadette Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT, professor, Division of Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine, and Ryan McAdams, MD, professor, Divisions of Neonatology and Newborn Nursery and Global Pediatrics, and their team. The project began in December of this year and will continue through November 2026.