The Stepping Strong Innovator Award supports research and innovation to prevent traumatic injury before it occurs, to improve the treatment and care of traumatic injury when it does occur, and to ensure its associated recovery. Up to four (4) awards in the amount of $100,000 each will be granted for a one-year period, inclusive of up to 20% indirect costs.
Stepping Strong Center leadership works closely with Innovator Awards recipients to provide them with strategic guidance, access to the Stepping Strong Center network, and assistance promoting their work.

Alexandria Byskosh, MD
Characterizing and Mitigating Post-Traumatic Splenectomy-Associated Infections: A Multi-Institutional Study Exploring Novel Immunotherapeutic Agents

Colette Cywes-Bentley, PhD
Poly-N-Acetyl-Glucosamine antibody to prevent neurodegeneration after mild TBI in adolescent mice

Mohammad Zain Ghani Hashmi, MD and Carlos A. Camargo, MD, DrPH
National Study to Characterize Telehealth Use for Trauma Care in U.S. Emergency Departments

Pratik Koirala, PhD
Development of skin grafts which are protected from rejection through local, autonomous, regulatory T-cell recruitment

Saef Izzy, MD, FNCS
Novel immune therapy to promote neurological recovery after traumatic brain injury

James A. Lederer, PhD
Restoring Immune Homeostasis and Recovery in Trauma by Trained Immunity

Geoffrey A. Anderson, MD, MPH and Juan P. Herrera-Escobar, MD, MPH
Beyond Surviving: Implementing the “Transforming Recovery After Injury for the Long-term (TRAIL) Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital”

Rayan Harari, PhD
An Augmented Reality (AR) Smart Decisions Support System to Advance Trauma Care at the Point of Injury

Brian Wainger, MD, PhD
Spinal Motor Neuron Transplantation to Enhance Reconstruction Strategies Following Traumatic Nervous System Injury

Rebecca Robbins, MMSci, PhD, MS, and Chana A. Sacks, MD, MPH
Sleep Superheroes: Cultivating healthy sleep behaviors for youth impacted by gun violence

Shan Liu, MD, SD
A Novel Design for an Emergency Department Virtual Observation Fall Prevention Program

Michelle Joseph, MBBS, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, FRCS
Development of the Integrated Military Partnerships and Civilian Trauma Systems (IMPACT) Framework

Justin Brown, MD
Traction neurogenesis for overcoming large nerve gaps

Peter T. Masiakos, MD, MS and Cornelia Griggs, MD
Developing and evaluating an avatar/virtual reality-based gun violence prevention training program for clinicians

Jenna Galloway, PhD
Harnessing single cell RNA-sequencing technology for tendon regenerative medicine strategies

Nakul Raykar, MD
Civilian walking blood banks for hemorrhagic shock when stored blood is unavailable

Yi Lu, MD, PhD
Developing treatments for progressive visual impairment following traumatic brain injury

Jeffrey C. Schneider, MD
Digital Phenotyping: A Novel Way to Assess Outcomes for Burn Survivors after Hospitalization

Arvind von Keudell, MD
Optimizing orthopaedic trauma surgical procedures with personalized implants and augmented reality

Shailesh Agarwal, MD
Using Biologic Agents to Regenerate Muscles After Traumatic Injury

I. Leah Gitajn, MD
Improving Outcomes for Patients with Fracture-Related Infections

Bharti Khurana, MD
Making the Invisible Visible: Bringing Intimate Partner Violence into Focus

Feodor Price, PhD
A Cell Therapy Platform for Treating Skeletal Muscle Trauma

Marc Wein, MD, PhD
A Novel Approach to Stimulating Bone Regeneration and Repairing Fractures

Natalie Artzi, PhD (left)
Using Gene Therapy and Antibiotic Delivery to Treat Bone Infections

Jenna Galloway, PhD, and Jessica Lehoczky, PhD
Identifying Drugs to Expedite the Healing of Orthopaedic Injuries

Mathias Kolle, PhD
Revealing Optimal Pressure in Compression Therapy using Color-changing Fibers

Yi Lu, MD, PhD, and Zhigang He, PhD
Locomotion Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

Omid Farokhzad, MD
Multifunctional Scaffolds that Promote Bone Healing and Regeneration

Giorgio Giatsidis, MD, PhD
Mitigating Damage to Injured Limbs After Tourniquet Application

Reza Abdi, MD
New Hope for Trauma Patients with Severe Burn Injuries

Michael J. Weaver, MD
21st Century Tools to Measure Bone Healing

Edward J. Caterson, MD
Healing Injuries in the Traumatized Extremity: Protection, Decontamination, and Regeneration

Omid Farokhzad, MD
Healing Bones with Nanodrones: The Next Frontier in Orthopedic Trauma Surgery

Bohdan Pomahac, MD
From Battlefield to Bedside: A Portable Device for Rescuing Limbs

Su-Ryon Shin, PhD
3D Bioprinting: A New Approach to Healing Muscle Trauma

Matthew J. Carty, MD
Recovering Limb Function: A New Surgical Approach For the 21st Century

George Dyer, MD
Repairing Large Traumatic Fractures: Using Silk-Based Orthopedic Implants to Promote Healing

Indranil Sinha, MD
Using Stem Cells to Regenerate Injured Muscle.