BREATHE Steering Committee members, Drs. Elisa Gonzalez-Rothi and Alicia Vose, were recently awarded an R21 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Their project: Mechanisms of swallowing dysfunction in a translational rodent model of chronic cervical spinal cord injury, will investigate how swallowing problems develop and persist from the acute to chronic stages of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) using a clinically relevant rodent model.
Swallowing is a complex act, requiring precise coordination with respiratory pathways to protect the airway. In neurological disorders, even subtle disruptions in this balance can cause dysphagia and increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia—a leading cause of death after high cervical SCI. By examining both functional and neural mechanisms, their work aims to identify new therapeutic targets and improve outcomes for those with SCI, as well as others at high risk for swallowing and airway complications. Congratulations, Drs. Gonzalez-Rothi and Vose!
