Friday, February 20, 2026 2/20/2026

Post-Stroke Neurovascular Function and Repair within a Porous Hydrogel

Award Number: F31NS135993
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2026

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Post-Stroke Neurovascular Function and Repair within a Porous Hydrogel - PROJECT SUMMARY Ischemic stroke, characterized by acute loss of blood flow to the brain caused by thrombus or embolus, accounts for 80% of all stroke cases and is a leading cause of disability in adults in the U.S. The loss of blood flow creates a zone of complete infarction (the core) and a surrounding zone of surviving tissue, where much of the limited repair after stroke occurs (peri-infarct tissue). In this repair, angiogenesis and the formation of new connections (axonal sprouting) are two key components. The proposed predoctoral NRSA aims to examine innate cellular responses to a potential stroke therapeutic, a biocompatible hydrogel scaffold with nanoparticle-immobilized vascular endothelial growth factor, that promotes infiltration of endothelial cells and axons from the surrounding peri-infarct. I hypothesize that introduction of this hydrogel into a cortical stroke infarct will revascularize the infarct and promote axonal sprouting and migration of glial cells and neural progenitors into the hydrogel scaffold, and that neuronal responses, particularly axonal sprouting and synaptogenesis, will be enhanced by rehabilitation of the affected forelimb in combination with the hydrogel. I will induce cortical stroke in the mouse forelimb motor cortex and inject the novel multi-component hydrogel into the stroke cavity. In the studies proposed in Aim 1, I will use 2-photon microscopic live imaging to longitudinally record and quantify the rate of vessel growth, perfusion, and permeability within the infarct and peri-infarct. To assess vascular-guided migration, tissue will be analyzed using immunofluorescence images of cell-type-specific markers, which will enable further studies investigating post-stroke signaling, blood brain barrier, and glial biology in and without the context of a hydrogel. The second aim of the project is to virally label axons that have been shown to project into the hydrogel, allowing for identification of the parent neurons and quantification of the axonal sprouting response to the hydrogel in both the stroke core and peri-infarct. Finally, to mimic a dual therapeutic approach that would be likely in a clinical setting, a third aim will investigate the effect of motor rehabilitation on axonal sprouting and connectivity with the recovering tissue stimulated by the hydrogel. Together, these aims will elucidate fundamental biological mechanisms underlying neural repair after ischemic stroke, while also establishing a paradigm to assess longitudinal revascularization and virally labeled axonal sprouting within this novel multi-component hydrogel.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $45,330 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	12/23/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$45,330
														Subtotal = $45,330

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $45,330 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	2	9/9/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$564
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	12/12/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$44,766
														Subtotal = $45,330

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $44,766 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10920 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 500	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	002	1	2/16/2024	NEW	$0
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	1	1/2/2024	NEW	$0
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	003	1	5/9/2024	NEW	$1,280
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	1/2/2024	NEW	$43,486
														Subtotal = $44,766

Grand Total All Awards = $135,426

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Post-Stroke Neurovascular Function and Repair within a Porous Hydrogel

Award Number: F31NS135993

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2026

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