skip to Main Content

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.

Case Studies

Indranil Sinha, MD
2018 Breakthrough Award
2014 Innovator Award

Eric Goralnick, MD, MS
2018 Breakthrough Award

Nakul Raykar

Nakul Raykar, MD, MPH
2023 Breakthrough Award
2021 Innovator Award

2024 Innovator Awards Recipients
Alexandria Byskosh, MD

Alexandria Byskosh, MD

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

Colette Cywes-Bentley, PhD

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

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

Pratik Koirala, PhD

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

2023 Innovator Awards Recipients
Saef Izzy, MD, MBChB

Saef Izzy, MD, MBChB

Novel immune therapy to promote neurological recovery after traumatic brain injury

James A. Lederer, PhD

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

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”

Mahdi Ebnali, PhD

Rayan Harari, PhD

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

2022 Innovator Awards Recipients
Brian Wainger, MD, PhD

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

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

Shan Liu, MD, SD

A Novel Design for an Emergency Department Virtual Observation Fall Prevention Program

Michelle Joseph, MBBS, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, FRCS

Michelle Joseph, MBBS, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, FRCS

Development of the Integrated Military Partnerships and Civilian Trauma Systems (IMPACT) Framework

2021 Innovator Awards Recipients
Justin Brown, MD

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

Jenna Galloway, PhD

Harnessing single cell RNA-sequencing technology for tendon regenerative medicine strategies

Nakul Raykar, MD

Nakul Raykar, MD

Civilian walking blood banks for hemorrhagic shock when stored blood is unavailable

2020 Innovator Awards Recipients
Yi Lu, MD, PhD

Yi Lu, MD, PhD

Developing treatments for progressive visual impairment following traumatic brain injury

Jeffrey C. Schneider, MD

Jeffrey C. Schneider, MD

Digital Phenotyping: A Novel Way to Assess Outcomes for Burn Survivors after Hospitalization

Arvind von Keudell, MD

Arvind von Keudell, MD

Optimizing orthopaedic trauma surgical procedures with personalized implants and augmented reality

2019 Innovator Awards Recipients
Shailesh Agarwal, MD

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

Marc Wein, MD, PhD

A Novel Approach to Stimulating Bone Regeneration and Repairing Fractures

2018 Innovator Awards Recipients

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

2017 Innovator Awards Recipient

Omid Farokhzad, MD

Multifunctional Scaffolds that Promote Bone Healing and Regeneration

Giorgio Giatsidis, MD, PhD

Mitigating Damage to Injured Limbs After Tourniquet Application

2016 Innovator Awards Recipients

Reza Abdi, MD

New Hope for Trauma Patients with Severe Burn Injuries

Michael J. Weaver, MD

21st Century Tools to Measure Bone Healing

2015 Innovator Awards Recipients

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

2014 Innovator Awards Recipients

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.

Back To Top