“Since 2020, the registries have supported 40 publications and more than $11 million in grants to UD faculty,” Morton said. “The DCNR3 will strengthen this foundation by creating shared infrastructure that supports larger, more collaborative studies and increases National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant competitiveness.” 

The DCNR3 will receive $100,000 in seed funding over the next five years from the CHS Dean’s Office, along with in-kind support from the PT and KAAP departments. 

“The DCNR3 is a strategic investment that brings together expert researchers, clinical infrastructure and community engagement to generate new knowledge, improve patient care and advance neurologic health research throughout Delaware and the region,” said Jillian Trabulsi, interim dean of CHS. 

Turning infrastructure into discovery 

The DCNR3 will provide a shared clinical testing infrastructure, enabling researchers to conduct standardized assessments and scale up clinical trials. 

“This will facilitate more researchers engaging in this kind of research that’s otherwise not feasible with lab staff alone,” said Reisman. “As we grow and support more studies, we can expect to see more exciting scientific breakthroughs.”

One of those breakthroughs came from PROWALKS, a multi-site, randomized clinical trial led by Reisman and supported by UD’s Stroke Research Registry. 

The study found that improving walking capacity after stroke did not automatically translate into increased real-world walking activity. 

“Effective rehabilitation must combine physical capacity building with behavioral interventions that help patients integrate movement into daily life,” Reisman said. 

The Parkinson’s Disease Research Registry, founded by Burciu after she came to UD in 2018, has also helped drive discoveries in neurologic rehab. 

“We found reduced activity in the brain region controlling lower-extremity movement in people with Parkinson’s disease, and that lower activity is associated with more severe symptoms,” Burciu said. 

As Delaware’s aging population grows, researchers say advances in neurologic rehabilitation are increasingly urgent. 

“The Parkinson’s Disease Registry made these findings possible by connecting us with participants interested in research,” Burciu said. “Those discoveries have since helped us identify a potential target for intervention and launch new studies aimed at improving walking and balance in Parkinson’s disease.

“Empowering and supporting investigators to pursue innovative research and collaborate across disciplines is vital to accelerating discoveries and better meeting patients’ needs,” Burciu said, emphasizing that the Center brings researchers and the community into closer partnership to guide and translate research.

Beyond research, the Center is expected to expand interdisciplinary opportunities for students. 

“The Center will provide opportunities for students of varying disciplines to engage with different patient populations and learn from each other,” Reisman said. 

Community engagement will be a centerpiece of the DCNR3’s work. 

“We want participants to know they’re vital partners in this research,” Morton said. “Because we can’t do it without them.” 

Pellerito hopes to get involved in DCNR3 studies in the future. 

“I want to keep learning and progressing,” Pellerito said. “They have no idea how much of an impact they’ve had on me.”

In the coming years, Center leaders hope to build a robust data repository, establish a participant advisory council, expand community-engaged research and extend work into related neurologic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury.

“The DCNR3 will be known for being at the forefront of paradigm-shifting studies and for translating discoveries into real-world care,” Reisman said. 

Interested in joining UD’s Stroke or Parkinson’s Disease Registry? Visit the Delaware Center for Neurologic Rehabilitation & Recovery Research.