Grants We Funded
Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:
The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Development of a Novel Bio-Integrated Peripheral Nervous System Interface
Brent Egeland MD
2008
University of Michigan
Basic Research Grant
Technology Based
Trauma and disease related upper extremity amputation causes substantial disability due to functional and tactile deficits while performing basic activities of daily living, Restoration of mechanical and sensory function following amputation is critically important. To date, the development of a biointegrated, durable, high fidelity, permanent prosthesis with bidirectional neural motor and sensory function, combined with refined robotics to effect or trigger these responses remains elusive, We have developed a novel construct using the biocompatible electroconductive polymer PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)) on acellular muscle (ACM) scaffolds, Preliminary data has shown that this construct is capable of propagating action potentials across at least 20mm nerve gaps, We hypothesize that an efferent action potential in the peripheral nerve can be electrically detected and delivered to downstream electronic circuitry using PEDOT-ACM scaffolds with longevity and fidelity. Furthermore, we hypothesize that afferent sensory signals can be delivered centrally using the same device architecture. Our specific aims are to investigate the bioelectrical construct in regards to the following: 1) in vivo PEDOT-ACM characteristics including physical and electrical interactions with native axons, in vivo biocompatibility, and durability. 2) ability to detect an efferent motor action potential 3) ability to initiate an afferent sensory action potential through electrical stimulation.