Marcus Foundation’s $30 million donation fosters a partnership between Stanford and U-M to assist stroke survivors in regaining their reading, writing, and speaking abilities
A newly formed partnership between the University of Michigan and Stanford University aims to enable stroke survivors to “communicate” by detecting and interpreting neural signals, utilizing some of the smallest computers in the world connected with the most biocompatible sensors available.
The Marcus Foundation revealed a $29.7 million grant today, spearheaded by Stanford, which will aid individuals suffering from aphasia following strokes, leaving them frequently struggling to express themselves. The University of Michigan will secure $19 million of the overall grant.
According to the American Heart Association, strokes are the primary cause of disability in the United States. The National Institutes of Health has estimated that more than 1 million Americans are affected by aphasia, with over 210,000 new cases emerging each year. Injury to the brain disrupts their capacity to listen, write, read, and speak, while they still possess the ability to understand spoken language from others.
Researchers from U-M, Cindy Chestek and David Blaauw, will spearhead the design and development of a long-lasting, implantable brain-computer interface. Concurrently, researchers at Stanford will collaborate with stroke survivors who have experienced impairments to their speech. They will investigate whether it’s possible to “decode” words from unaffected brain regions.
“Current electrode technology, known as the Utah array, has been utilized since the 1990s,” stated Chestek, a professor of biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, and robotics at U-M. “This implantable electrode can last from one to seven years. However, that’s not sufficiently reliable for medical treatments and it also tends to create substantial scar tissue in the brain.
“David and I are working on creating a significantly better device that will consist of numerous tiny components.”
They are specifically developing minuscule carbon-based electrodes to capture signals from the temporal lobe of the brain, which processes auditory information and language, typically remaining intact in aphasic patients. The electrodes designed to detect those signals are crafted from carbon fiber and are smaller than capillaries, causing minimal damage to the brain over time—even when a large quantity of them are embedded. A diminutive computer chip connected to each carbon fiber will relay the neural signals to the external environment.
“Our methodology is entirely wireless, setting us apart from many existing interface technologies available today,” remarked Blaauw, the Kensall D. Wise Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “By developing it to be wireless and exceedingly tiny, we ensure minimal damage to the brain, while preserving the protective layer around it.”
Stanford’s research effort will be guided by Jaimie Henderson, a professor of neurosurgery, alongside Frank Willett, an assistant professor of neurosurgery. The team ultimately intends to implant U-M’s devices within patients to restore their speech capabilities.
“This research addresses a crucial void, as there are currently no effective therapies capable of restoring speech in patients with aphasia,” Henderson stated. “We are undertaking an unprecedented endeavor through this innovative project.”
Founded in 1989 by Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, the Marcus Foundation was established to further his philanthropic pursuits. Since then, the foundation has granted more than 3,500 grants, supported by over $2.7 billion in funding, to promote efforts in various fields, such as medical research, Jewish causes, free enterprise, and veterans’ programs.
Recently, Forbes recognized Marcus and his wife, Billi Marcus, by bestowing upon them the publication’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy. Bernie Marcus passed away on November 4, 2024.
“We are incredibly enthusiastic about philanthropically launching this impressive ‘Dream Team’ in specialized brain-computer interface research for aphasic stroke survivors,” said Jonathan Simons, chief science officer at The Marcus Foundation.
“While this academic research and development is ambitious and poses high risks, the potential benefits in restoring speech for those who have tragically lost it far exceed any exaggeration around advancements in the neuroscientific care of stroke survivors.”
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