A urinary tract infection that follows a moderate brain injury can worsen cognitive problems caused by the injury, new research in mice shows. People who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are susceptible to many types of infections, especially in the lungs. Yet previous studies have shown that bladder infections in this population are not uncommon: 15% of adult brain injury patients experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) within a year, and UTIs are responsible for up to 20% of hospital readmissions that occur within a year after a TBI. In addition, UTIs are known to cause delirium-like symptoms in medically vulnerable people.

More than 200 people attended the 2026 Symposium on Unified Military & Veteran Multidisciplinary Innovation and Translation, or SUMMIT conference, at The Ohio State University. Held earlier this month, SUMMIT welcomed speakers from across the country who covered topics ranging from strategic deterrence to healthcare. In addition, nearly 55 researchers presented posters on topics like plastic and reconstructive surgery and opportunities for veteran farmers in Ohio.

Ohio State University has received a prestigious NIH T32 institutional training grant to launch Neuro‑RISE, a two‑year interdisciplinary program that prepares predoctoral researchers to advance treatments, technologies and rehabilitation strategies for people with traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Led by Ceren Yarar‑Fisher and Phil Popovich, the program strengthens the university’s neurotrauma research ecosystem by integrating expertise from CBIRD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Neuroscience and the Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury. Its goal is to train scientists who can bridge laboratory research, clinical practice and community needs, accelerating the translation of discoveries into meaningful improvements in patient recovery and long‑term quality of life.