Mark Roth
October 5, 2011

Watch Dr. Roth, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, as he discusses his studies of suspended animation: the art of shutting down life processes and then starting them up again. Previously, the idea of suspended animation only "lived" in the realm of science fiction. Yet Roth's research is showing that this technique can potentially “suspend” trauma victims long enough to be successfully treated and therefore extend their survival.

Regina Armstrong
September 21, 2011

Dr. Armstrong from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences discusses research into treatments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has focused on clinical management, diagnosis, and possible long-term consequences that could result from the initial trauma. Accordingly, regenerative medicine attempts to further improve recovery by a) inducing plasticity, b) stimulating repair, c) exploiting stem cell transplantation, and d) modifying the environment of the damaged brain region. TBI is a significant and puzzling challenge for healthcare providers in the United States. Between 10 and 20% of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are estimated to have suffered a TBI, and more than 1.1 million civilians each year seek emergency room treatment for TBI.

Hannah Kinney
September 7, 2011

Dr. Hannah Kinney of Harvard Medical School presents to the Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: How Research is Keeping Babies Safe.

Virtually all parents have placed a hand on their sleeping baby at one time or another to see if he or she is still breathing—in fear that the baby may die suddenly and inexplicably during sleep, in fear of what we call sudden infant death syndrome or SIDS. SIDS is the leading cause of postneonatal infant mortality in the United States today. Approximately six SIDS deaths occur each day.

Dr. Kinney is a leading researcher studying the underlining causes of SIDS. Watch as she describes her research. She posits that the idea that SIDS, or a subset of SIDS, is due to a developmental brainstem defect in autonomic and/or respiratory control during sleep. The ultimate goals of the research are to define brainstem abnormalities in living infants and to suggest ways of preventing the abnormalities from leading to sudden infant death.