There are numerous opportunities for innovative state-of-the art injury-related research across the University and the Pittsburgh area through multiple programs, disciplines, and resources. Communicating and fostering these opportunities is one of CIRCL’s important goals.

Allegheny County Health Department

Brain Trauma Research Center (BTRC)

CMU Heinz College, School of Public Policy and Management

Department of Epidmiology

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Life History Studies Program

Safar Center

Brain Trauma Research Center (BTRC)

The Department of Neurological Surgery's Brain Trauma Research Center (BTRC) is a multidisciplinary, multi-departmental research program aimed at improving outcome following severe traumatic brain injury. As one of only six NIH-designated head injury research centers in the United States, the BTRC has a mandate to provide improved quality of care and outcomes for severely head-injured patients. Research clearly demonstrates the potential for improving outcome using therapies designed to treat biochemical derangements that occur following impact to the brain. In order to identify the most critical of these sequelae and to find therapies that are effective in treating them, the BTRC has established several basic science laboratories and clinical research projects. Researchers are studying the mechanisms of secondary brain injury, the role of inflammation, excitotoxicity, and reactive oxygen species in causing brain tissue injury following experimental blunt impact. There is also a focus on the study of global and focal cerebral ischemia and therapeutic moderate hypothermia. Ed Dixon, PhD, is the Director. The BTRC has had a long history of quality basic science research and translation of its laboratory efforts into meaningful acute care interventions.

Safar Center

The global mission of the Safar Center is to improve understanding of the mechanisms of secondary injury after traumatic brain injury, cardiopulmonary arrest, severe hemorrhage, and to contribute to the development and implementation of novel and effective therapies. Mitigation of secondary injury after these life-threatening catastrophic events is a major goal in each venue of investigation. To reach these goals, the Center has four objectives: 1) To understand the mechanisms of cell death after catastrophic insults such as traumatic brain injury, cardiac arrest or severe hemorrhage, with a particular focus on how cerebral neurons die, 2) To understand the cellular, molecular, pathophysiologic, and environmental mechanisms that contribute to the development of secondary damage after the start of resuscitation or limit recovery after catastrophic insults, 3) To design and evaluate new mechanism-directed therapies for the above insults, including studies in experimental laboratory, clinical, and field settings and 4) To contribute to the education of young investigators, physicians, and others in resuscitation medicine, and of the lay public in the area of life supporting first aid. The Safar Center is directed by Patrick M. Kochanek, MD, FCCM, tenured Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and CCM, and Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.