Research
Details on our research areas and support services

The focus of the AENC research is on acute TBI prevention, identification, treatments and training. The AENC provides a powerful window of opportunity for medical clinicians and university researchers to conduct their research in a highly protected and predictable environment. AENC focuses
on several areas of TBI research, and provides a number of
research support services to those who partner with us.
Our Research Activites:
- Actively recruit expertise in TBI identification, prevention, and treatments
- Promote collaborative experiences across academia, private industry, and government
- Provide access to an unfortunately rich TBI generating military installation for member researchers
- Develop guidance for US Army training best practices to reduce training-related TBIs
- Support TBI education and awareness symposia at US Army training installations
- Provide access to the AENC Biorepository for clinical research applications
Our Strategic Partnership with Fort Leonard Wood:
- Fort Leonard Wood is home to the US Army Chemical, Engineer, and Military Police Regiments.
- Training related to these military specializations results in approximately 600 TBIs annually.
- The AENC has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command to leverage this unique TBI population.
Our Signature Research
Areas:
The four areas the AENC has focused on are
Protection, Identification, Treatments and Training. The AENC Board of
Directors and its members selected University and team members to lead in
these categories, plus one as follows:
Detection and
Characterization:
The evaluation of integrated behavioral,
molecular, and neuroimaging biomarkers for objective TBI identification is a
primary focus for the AENC and this initiative is led by Dr. Casey Burton
from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Treatment and Management:
The development
of innovative interventions can mitigate the comorbidities and long-term clinical
sequelae associated with TBI. This signature area involves a multidisciplinary approach
aimed at using evidence-based medicine to reduce the acute and chronic effects of TBI.
The leadership of this initiative is currently vacant.
Prevention:
The AENC embraces the development of new wearable
technologies aimed at mitigating concussive forces and providing real-time
monitoring, as well as novel prophylactics for preventing the acute effects
of TBI. This signature research area is led by Dr. Jie Huang and Dr. Rex Gerald
from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Military Training Guidance:
The AENC is committed to reducing the burden of TBI in our armed forces and works closely with the US Army to provide guidance on its military training program. This signature area is led by LTC (Ret.) Stephen Tupper, from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics:
This
signature area is focused on enhancing the capabilities of the US Army to
track concussive injuries to better identify soldiers at risk for secondary
injury and provides statistical programming support for the AENC research
team with an emphasis on integrating diverse clinicopathological factors to
create a personalized landscape for TBI, and is led by Dr. Anthony Caruso
from University of Missouri - Kansas City.
The Acute Effects of
Neurotrauma Consortium is operated as an activity of Phelps County Regional
Medical Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in partnership with the
Leonard Wood Institute and the Clinical and Translational Research Program
Office of the U.S. Army's Medical Research and Materiel Command.