Inaugural Huber Accelerator Awards Won by Drs. Hyun Kyoung Lee & Hugo Bellen, Qiancheng Zhao

Huber Accelerator Award for Anoxic Brain Injury

We are very pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural Huber Accelerator Award for Anoxic Brain Injury. This highly-competitive annual program provides seed funds to support collaborative projects to advance research, accelerate clinical innovation, and bring hope to families affected by Anoxic Brain Injury. Two outstanding projects were selected for funding this year. Each will receive $100,000.

Developing Next-Generation Antioxidants as Neuroprotective Therapeutics for Anoxic Brain Injury 

Principal Investigator:  Hyun Kyoung Lee, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, and Investigator, Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital

Collaborator: Hugo Bellen, DVM, PhD, Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, and Chair in Neurogenetics, Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital

This project aims to develop next-generation antioxidant compounds that protect the brain after oxygen deprivation caused by conditions such as cardiac arrest, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. These compounds not only neutralize harmful oxidative stress but also activate the brain’s own protective defense pathways, offering the potential for stronger and longer-lasting neuroprotection than current therapies. Using established mouse models of anoxic brain injury, the team will evaluate whether these compounds can preserve brain tissue and improve neurological recovery, with the long-term goal of advancing them toward clinical translation.

Harnessing Hibernation Biology for Anoxic Brain Injury

Principal Investigator: Qiancheng Zhao, PhD, Assistant Professor, Departments of Medicine-Endocrinology and Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine

Hibernating mammals naturally protect their brains from oxygen deprivation during hibernation. By investigating the physiological adaptations and genetic mechanisms that enable this resilience, this work may inspire the development of new therapies to reduce brain damage and improve recovery after anoxic brain injury.

The Huber Accelerator Award in Anoxic Brain Injury is a prestigious new award program generously funded by the Huber Neurodiscovery Collaborative in partnership with the Duncan NRI at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.