Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Awarded Funding for Collaborative Work
Hyattsville, MD — The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) recently awarded a 5-year $ 4.375 million grant to establish a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital focusing on neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction can affect a broad range of people with physical disabilities; for example, people with spinal cord injury and disease, stroke, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease, among other conditions.
Under the direction of Suzanne Groah, MD, MSPH, the RRTC is a collaboration between MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Georgetown University, TIRR Memorial Hermann, and Children’s National Medical Center. These institutions will partner with national organizations, leveraging expertise and strengths in rehabilitation research and clinical care, neurogenic bladder research and advocacy, and consumer engagement in research. They will also focus on training at post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate levels, disability-related national advocacy, online education development, and dissemination outreach.
There are three research projects that are supported by this funding. The first research project will determine whether 4 doses of intravesical Lactobacillus among people with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction who use indwelling catheters is superior to 2 doses for management of selected urinary symptoms. For the second research project, the RRTC will assess neuromodulation of the bladder using transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation in a randomized controlled trial. The third research project, in conjunction with an ongoing clinical trial, will describe the impact that bladder management has on quality of life and participation outcomes and then assess these in the context of the first-in-human clinical trial of the Connected Catheter.
“With our training component, we hope to support the early career development of investigators to further the quality of patients in the future,” said Dr. Groah.
National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research is the federal government’s primary disability research agency. They seek to fund projects which generate new knowledge and promote its effective use to improve the abilities of individuals with disabilities to perform activities of their choice in the community.
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About MedStar Health Research Institute
The MedStar Health Research Institute is the research arm of MedStar Health, the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region. MHRI provides scientific, administrative and regulatory support for research programs throughout the MedStar Health system. MHRI’s expertise includes translational research into disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. These programs complement the key clinical services and teaching programs in the 10 MedStar hospitals and other MedStar entities. For more information, visit MedStarResearch.org.
About MedStar Health
At MedStar Health, we use the best of our minds and the best of our hearts to serve our patients, those who care for them, and our communities. Our 30,000 associates and 4,700 affiliated physicians are committed to living this promise through our core SPIRIT values—Service, Patient first, Integrity, Respect, Innovation, and Teamwork—across our more than 300 locations including 10 hospitals, ambulatory, and urgent care centers. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University, MedStar Health is training future physician leaders to care for the whole person and is advancing care through the MedStar Health Research Institute. From our telemedicine and urgent care services to the region’s largest home health agency, we’re committed to providing high-quality health care that’s also easy and convenient for our patients. At MedStar Health—It’s how we treat people. Learn more at MedStarHealth.org.