Marco Capogrosso received the Society for Neuroscience's Young Investigator Award

Assistant Professor Marco Capogrosso has received the Society for Neuroscience’s Young Investigator Award, a first for a University of Pittsburgh faculty. The award recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions by young neuroscientists who lead independent research groups.

As director of Pitt’s Spinal Cord Stimulation Laboratory, Capogrosso studies the interactions between electrical stimulation and the dynamics of neural circuits. He is interested in the use and development of computational models to support the design of effective neurotechnologies, with a particular focus on the restoration of sensory and motor function after neural damage or disease.

He led a first-in-human clinical trial for electrical stimulation in the upper spinal cord to treat patients with upper-body paralysis caused by stroke. The study found that stimulating the spinal cord instantly improves arm and hand mobility; and, after a few weeks of use, some of these improvements endure when the stimulation is switched off, indicating exciting avenues for the future of stroke therapies.

“This award is an honor and a great recognition of translational research in neuroscience,” Capogrosso said. “We’re showing that we can change people’s lives using science.”

Previous awardees include numerous distinguished neuroscientists, including Nobel Prize winner Ardem Patapoutian.

Read more about Capogrosso’s work with spinal cord stimulation.