Professor Ron D. Frostig, Neurobiology and Behavior, received a $6 million grant from the Leducq Foundation. The funds will support an international research team led by Professor Frostig, that will study in animal models and humans various aspects and mechanisms underlying sensory-based protection of ischemic stroke that his lab discovered.

Professor Frostig’s basic discovery that led to the grant involved studying human ischemic stroke in a rat model. During ischemic stroke, a major artery that leads blood to the cortex is blocked resulting in stroke. However, Professor Frostig’s team discovered that if sensory stimulation (tactile, auditory) is delivered within two hours after the blockage, the cortex remains completely protected from an impending ischemic stroke. Other UCI team members include Professors Steven C. Cramer (Neurology) and Dritan Agalliu (Developmental and Cell Biology).

Leducq is a French foundation dedicated to funding internationally collaborative research in cardiovascular and neurovascular disease.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can support the faculty and research at the Biological Sciences School, please contact Andrew DiNuzzo at 949.824.2734 or adinuzzo@uci.edu.