Neuroscience Research

With collective research and clinical strengths in stroke, brain injury, sleep disorders, neurodegenerative disease and more, Henry Ford + MSU researchers and clinicians are working to enhance and advance their joint neuroscience research ecosystem.

Neuroscience Planning Committee

The Neuroscience Planning Committee is implementing activities to catalyze new, cross-institutional connections and will be developing a competitive seed funding program to support joint research projects. Members include:

The topic clusters below, championed by Henry Ford and MSU co-leads, will explore opportunities for joint research projects, large grant mechanisms, and gaps in expertise where a lynchpin faculty recruitment could better connect and support the neuroscience community.

• Addiction (Led by Amy Loree, Ph.D. and Michelle Mazei-Robison, Ph.D.)
• Degeneration (Led by Shailendra Giri, Ph.D. and Caryl Sortwell, Ph.D.)
• Neurodevelopment Disorders (Led by Jaspreet Singh, Ph.D. and Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D.)
• Neuro-imaging (Led by Tavarekere Nagaraja, Ph.D. and Erik Shapiro, Ph.D.)
• Neuroinflammation (Led by Ahmad Riad Ramadan, M.D. and Geoffroy Laumet, Ph.D.)
• Neuropsychiatric Disorders (Led by Lisa Matero, Ph.D. and Alex Johnson, Ph.D.)
• Neurovascular Science (Led by Michael Chopp, Ph.D. and Chunqi Qian, Ph.D.)
• Sleep & Arousal (Led by Abdullah Ahmad, Ph.D. and Lily Yan, Ph.D.)

Henry Ford + MSU Neuroscience Seed Funding Opportunity

In March of 2025, Henry Ford + MSU Neuroscience Planning Committee announced their seed funding opportunity, seeking to catalyze new connections and enhanced collaborations between Henry Ford and MSU through joint grant applications of up to $50,000 each.

The full proposal submission deadline was September 12, 2025, with 21 promising applications received. The Committee will review applications and announce funded awards in the Fall of 2025.

Awards are intended to encourage exploratory and developmental research for the early stages of project development in areas of basic, preclinical, clinical, translational, behavioral, population research, and more. By investing in early-stage ideas, the committee aims to foster bold collaborations that advance neuroscience discovery and improve health outcomes.