Temple to Participate in $20 Million Research Initiative

Temple University will participate in a $20 million initiative for the development of neurological research.  

In association with The U.S. Army Research Lab, Temple agreed on a two-year deal that will allow faculty from the university to conduct research on brain injuries.

Temple’s research team will be comprised of leading faculty in the medical, engineering, public health, science and athletic fields. At the head of the project is Vice President for Research Michele Masucci.

There will be other universities participating in this as well, including the University of Southern California and the University of North Texas. Masucci said the collaborative effort will produce a great outcome.

“This award evidences that by working together across schools, colleges and universities, Temple’s faculty is able to provide national leadership in the design, development and measurement of advanced materials to protect army personnel as well as athletes,” she said. “Through improving our knowledge of the protective effects of such materials by conducting clinical studies of their use, we hope to dramatically improve the safety of individuals at risk for traumatic brain injury.”

The research will be conducted in 3 main areas:

• Understanding traumatic brain injury
• Improving protection against ballistic impacts
• Improving materials with the help of technology

With the help of Temple’s Center for Computational Design of Functional Layered Materials, along with the Temple’s Materials Institute, the university will develop and test new findings to further develop their research. The funding will also go towards learning more about and understanding head injuries.

Seeing as though this is one of the largest cooperative agreements in the school’s history, university President Richard Englert said the initiative will allow Temple’s research department to explore new, innovative ideas. “This pioneering research by some of our most highly regarded faculty supports the protection of soldiers and also has potential for broader applications,” he said. “Temple’s research enterprise is clearly on the rise, and this is a tremendous example of what our expertise can do to improve lives.”