The Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences is excited to share that Assistant Professor Kristin Poole O’Grady, PhD, has received two national grants totaling more than $2 Million to aid in her research in spinal cord MRI for patients with progressive Multiple Sclerosis.
Earning a four-year, $1.8 Million R01 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Dr. O'Grady's project “Multimodal, quantitative MRI in the lumbosacral spinal cord in progressive multiple sclerosis” will advance multimodal MRI and develop MRI biomarkers of MS pathology for the complete spinal cord. These results will not only improve the understanding of disability in primary progressive MS, but also benefit research for other neurological diseases.
Dr. O’Grady was also chosen as one of two recipients for the Harry Weaver Scholar Award from the National MS Society. Her project “Structural and functional MRI of lumbosacral spinal cord pathology in progressive MS” will test tools to image the lower spinal cord of patients with MS to better understand symptoms and track the progression of the disease. This award is a five-year grant for early career independent investigators and totals $660,000.
“I’m excited to pursue these research projects with an outstanding team of co-investigators," says Dr. O'Grady. "I am grateful for this support from NINDS and the MS Society that will help us improve our imaging capabilities and advance our understanding of spinal cord pathology in individuals with MS.”
"Dr. O’Grady is establishing herself as a research leader in translational research in Multiple Sclerosis," says Interim Chair Dan Brown, MD. "I am excited to see her portfolio continue to expand."
Congratulations, Dr. O’Grady!
