The Miriam Hospital Center for Behavioral and Preventative Medicine has been awarded an $11.1 million Phase 2 NIH Grant to continue research in Stress, Trauma and Resilience. The STAR COBRE's research efforts are focused on addressing long-term health problems associated with childhood stress and trauma through resilience-based interventions, and are led by Dr. Laura Stroud, director of the center, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at the Warren Alpert Medical School and Co-Leader of the Oncology Behavioral Health Working Group at the Legorreta Cancer Center.
"Decades of research have shown that childhood stress and trauma can profoundly affect health across the lifespan, yet many questions remain about how these experiences shape physical and mental health and, importantly, how and when to intervene. This investment will help us develop new solutions, advance scientific understanding, and train the next generation of investigators working to improve health and resilience.” - Dr. Laura Stroud
In it's first phase of funding, the STAR COBRE supported 19 early career investigators through career development and research support, published 351 scientific papers to promote discoveries, and secured over $70 million in funding for new research projects.
In Phase 2, which will fund the project over the next 5 years, the group plans to develop further interventions, test wearable technologies, and strengthen community engagement to translate scientific findings into therapeutic strategies. Bess Marcus, PhD, Interim Associate Director for Population Sciences at the Legorreta Cancer Center shares Stroud’s excitement about funding for Phase 2 of the STAR COBRE Center, “I am looking forward to continuing our collaboration in the next phase of the STAR COBRE. We have jointly mentored a number of STAR members whose work focuses on the intersection of cancer and stress, trauma, and resilience. This is a critical area where we can advance the field while directly supporting our local community.”
“Over the past five years, the STAR COBRE has become a catalyst for scientific discovery and investigator development in Rhode Island. As individuals and communities face unprecedented levels of stress, advancing research on trauma and resilience is essential. This renewal recognizes the STAR team’s extraordinary accomplishments and will help accelerate innovative research to better understand and address the long-term effects of stress and trauma.” - Bharat Ramratnam, MD, senior vice president of research, Brown University Health.
To learn more, visit the STAR COBRE website.
Congratulations to Dr. Stroud and her team on the advancement of this exciting research initiative.