Newswise \u2014 Binghamton University, State University of New York will receive half a million dollars from New York state for new instrumentation that will advance our understanding of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases more generally.<\/p>\n
The funding was announced this week by Gov. Kathy Hochul as part of the first phase of the SUNY Brain Institute, a statewide neuroscience research network focused on combatting age-related brain disorders. The $10 million, multi-campus initiative will expand the State University of New York\u2019s neuroscience research capabilities.<\/p>\n
“New York state is investing in transformative research that dives into issues affecting communities throughout the state,” Hochul said. “By connecting leading researchers and advanced infrastructures across New York, the SUNY Brain Institute will accelerate work on Alzheimer\u2019s disease, Parkinson\u2019s disease, stroke, and other age-related brain disorders to find cures so families in every community have the quality time together that they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jungwook \u201cJay\u201d Paek<\/a>, assistant professor of\u00a0electrical and computer engineering<\/a>\u00a0at Binghamton, will work with colleagues to establish advanced imaging and electrophysiological analysis infrastructure for studying living brain tissue models in small microfabricated devices, known as human brain-on-a-chip platforms.<\/p>\n The team will acquire a 3D imaging setup for visualizing and validating 3D living neurovascular tissue models, as well as electrode-based measurement systems for monitoring the electrical activity of neurons within these models. These capabilities, Paek said, will enable researchers to characterize the structural and functional properties of engineered human brain tissues. The team will also evaluate how well the models mimic the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the most exciting aspects of this initiative is that the Brain Institute provides capital funding to establish research instrumentation infrastructure, which is often difficult to secure through general research funding,\u201d Paek said.<\/p>\n