Neuroscience:Translate

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The Neuroscience:Translate grant program supports research projects at the intersection of biology, engineering and medicine to address practical unmet needs in brain health and the neurosciences.

The program funds cross-disciplinary teams to develop new devices, diagnostic procedures, software, pharmaceutical therapies and other products that can be brought rapidly to market through new startup companies or partnerships with existing companies. Grants of up to $100,000 are awarded annually to approximately six teams. Teams who have previously received Neuroscience:Translate awards may apply for a one-year renewal to continue advancing their technology.


This program was inspired by the successful Stanford Coulter Translational Research program, a partnership between Stanford Bioengineering and the Coulter Foundation managed by the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign. The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute partners with Stanford Biodesign to bring this approach and expertise to bear on the field of neuroscience and brain diseases, with guidance from a Neuroscience:Translate oversight committee comprising scientific and industry leaders in biotechnology development.

Closed

2024 applications are closed

Funded Neuroscience:Translate projects

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2021
The wearable ENG: a dizzy attack event monitor, Dizzy DX - Renewal
Recurrent dizziness attacks are a debilitating condition for 10% of the population during their lifetime, and can lead to a complete inability to function, and to multiple hospital admissions and investigations chasing many potential diagnoses. This project aims to address the unmet need for means of tracking patients' specific symptoms, so that correct treatments can be identified that will improve patients' function and quality of life.
Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2021
A minimally-invasive intracranial pressure microsensor (mICP) for long-term, continuous ambulatory monitoring
The limited available treatments (e.g., radiation, chemotherapy) for glioblastoma (GBM) can lead to swelling in the brain that causes elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), the timing of which is unpredictable; this results in the patient presenting to the emergency room with headaches, vomiting, or seizures, which leads to worsened quality of life and survival outcomes. We propose the refinement and pre-clinical validation of a pressure-sensing microfluidic ICP microsensor (mICP) that could be implanted in patients with GBM to detect elevated ICP early on.
Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2022
Development of an extracochlear neurostimulation device to restore hearing – Renewal

Sensorineural hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent condition that causes disability to over a third of US adults aged over 65. This team is developing a breakthrough device to restore high-frequency hearing that preserves residual hearing through a reversible and minimally invasive approach.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2023
New Thrombectomy Device for Endovascular Neurosurgery

This team will use their Neuroscience:Translate award to develop an entirely new class of ischemic stroke treatment device that will lead to improved clot extraction to improve the success of endovascular thrombectomy.

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2020
Deep learning for automated seizure localization
Current automated seizure detection software is slow, inaccurate and rarely precise enough for clinicians to rely upon. This project aims to use cutting-edge AI methods to develop a powerful new algorithm that will enable better seizure diagnosis and treatment plan formation.
Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Neuroscience:Translate Award
2021
Extracochlear neurostimulation - Auricle

Sensorineural hearing loss is an increasingly prevalent condition that causes disability to over a third of US adults aged over 65. We are developing a breakthrough device to restore high-frequency hearing that preserves residual hearing through a reversible and minimally invasive approach.