TeamCindy Research Grants

Cindy’s family established the Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research through the auspices of the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to honor Cindy’s life. Since inception, we’ve distributed more than $800,000 in research grants. These grants specifically fund scientific research directed at the early detection and prevention of brain aneurysms.

Each Chair of Research provides funding for one grant recipient for one year. Grant awards are presented at the Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s Annual Research Grant Awards Symposium during the month of September. Each year, the Research Grant Committee, a team of world-renowned neurosurgeons from The Brain Aneurysm Foundation’s Medical Advisory Board, carefully reviews all the research grant requests from neuroscience leaders and determines which projects merit funding.

The Brain Aneurysm Foundation has become the world’s leading source of private funding of brain aneurysm research. When possible, the research grant awards are presented by the grant donor. Researchers are honored to receive a Chair of Research and they are inspired by the personal stories behind each Chair.

A second Chair of Research was established in 2015 to recognize the fundraising efforts of the Escape from Alcatraz team led by Mr. Kevin Brennan. The grant is the TeamCindy-Escape from Alcatraz Chair of Research.

University of Miami, Florida
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $30,000
Awarded for: Surface Modification of Flow Diverting Stents for Improved Cerebral Aneurysm Repair

University of Buffalo, New York
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research (in conjunction with the Carol W. Harvey Chair of Research): $30,000
Awarded for: Blood-Based Biomarkers Associated with Aneurysm Vessel Wall Enhancement on Post-Contrast MRI

2020

University of California, San Francisco
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research (in conjunction with the Buzz for BAF Chair of Research): $40,000
Awarded for: Cell-specific gene expression signatures in human brain aneurysms

Matthew Alexander, MD
The University of California San Francisco
TeamCindy Alcatraz Chair of Research: $20,000
Awarded for: Genetic Analysis of Cardiovascular Disease and Inflammation in Individuals with Cerebral Aneurysms: Toward Propensity Scores for Predicting Development and Risk of Rupture

Ahmed J. Awad, MD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Health System
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $20,000
Awarded for: The Role of Epigenetic and Genetic Variants in the Molecular Pathogenesis of Intracranial Aneurysms in Human

William Gibson, MD
The University of British Columbia, Child & Family Research Institute
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $25,000
Awarded for: Exome Sequencing Study of Dominant Mutations in Familial Brain Aneurysms

 Hui Meng, Ph D
The State University of New York at Buffalo
The Carol W. Harvey Memorial Chair of Research: $25,000 TeamCindy – Alcatraz Chair of Research*: $10,000
Awarded for:  Development of Blood-­Based Biomarkers for Brain Aneurysm Detection: Stage II Model Development

Pina C. Sanelli, MD, MPH, FACR
North Shore – Long Island Jewish Health System
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $25,000
Awarded for: Evaluating Microvascular Dysfunction as a Predictor of Delayed Cerebral Ischemia and Poor Outcomes after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Yunxia Tao, Ph.D.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $25,000
Awarded for: Pilot Study – Evaluate the Potential of using PKD1 Expression and Function Level as a Risk Marker for Intracranial Aneurysm Rupture.

Michael Chen, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neurology, Neurosurgery and Radiology
Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $20,000 grant for his research
Awarded for: Timed Hormone Replacement Therapy for Women with Cerebral Aneurysms.

William Ashley, Jr., Ph.D., M.D., MBA Assistant Professor
University of Texas at Houston, Houston, TX
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $20,000
Awarded for: Neuroproteomic Analysis of CSF-derived Microparticles in Cerebral Vasospasm Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

J Javier Provencio, M.D.
Neurological Intensive Care Unit Doctor at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $20,000
Awarded for: “Timing Neutrophil Inactivation to Prevent Vasospasm in Murine Model”

Tom Schweizer, M.D
St. Michael’s Hospital – Toronto, Canada
Cynthia Lynn Sherwin Chair of Research: $15,000
Awarded for: “Neurocognitive, Neuroimaging, and Functional Profile of Patients after Aneurismal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage”