April 14, 2025 - By Kathryn Sill

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Stanford Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery was awarded a $29.7 million research grant from The Marcus Foundation, a philanthropic organization that contributes broadly to biomedical research.

The goal of the research is to develop a new, durable brain-computer interface (BCI) to restore communication in aphasic stroke. According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Aphasia is a language disorder that is often caused from stroke-related injuries to the brain regions that control speech, leaving people unable to express themselves. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates over 1 million Americans have aphasia, and there are over 210,000 new cases per year.

Leading the Stanford research in this collaborative effort are Jaimie Henderson, MD, John and Jene Blume - Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor of Neurosurgery; and Frank Willett, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery.

“This research meets a critical gap as existing therapies often fail to restore speech in aphasic patients,” Henderson said. “We are embarking on something that has never been done before.”

In aphasia, parts of the brain associated with producing the mouth and throat movements involved in speech will be damaged or destroyed. The Stanford team will place sensors in undamaged areas of the brain associated with higher-level parts of speech like grammar and semantics. They will then develop new software to decode this information into words, allowing patients to once again effectively communicate with others.

“In the past Stanford has worked on communication BCIs for brainstem stroke and ALS patients, but our hope now is to expand that care into patients with aphasia,” Willett said.

A portion of the funding, which is awarded over five years, will support researchers from the University of Michigan College of Engineering, who will develop new brain interface hardware. The long-term hope is to provide a more durable and effective brain interfacing hardware to a large patient population. Until the hardware is ready for testing, Stanford will use currently available devices to prototype the idea with a smaller number of aphasic patients.

U-M researchers Cindy Chestek and David Blaauw will design and build a new device to expand what’s possible from a BCI.

“The current technology has been in use since the 1990s and it’s called the Utah array," said Cindy Chestek, PhD, U-M professor of biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, and robotics. “It’s an implantable electrode that can last from one year to at least seven, but that's not a long time, and the device can also create scar tissue in the brain that makes it less effective. David and I are going to build a much better device, or actually a system of devices.”

U-M’s BCI will record signals from the brain’s temporal region, which handles auditory information and language, instead of attempting to draw information from damaged areas. The electrodes used to pick up those signals are made of carbon fiber and are smaller than capillaries, doing very little damage to the brain over time–even when large numbers of them are implanted.

“Our approach is completely wireless, and that distinguishes us from many of the interface technologies that are in the market right now,” said David Blaauw, PhD, Kensall D. Wise Collegiate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. “By making it wireless and incredibly small, we’re making sure there’s very little damage to the brain and it leaves the protective layer around the brain intact.”

“We are very excited to philanthropically launch this true ‘Dream Team’ in precision brain-computer interface research for aphasic stroke patients,” said Jonathan W. Simons, MD, Chief Science Officer at The Marcus Foundation. “As ambitious and ‘high-risk’ as this academic R+D is, the ‘return’ in restoration of speech for those who have tragically lost it exceeds any hyperbole as an advance in the neuroscientific care of stroke patients.”
 

About The Marcus Foundation

Founded in 1989, The Marcus Foundation fulfills the philanthropic vision of the late Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, and his wife, Billi Marcus. The Foundation’s grantmaking philosophy is derived from Bernie Marcus’ personal life experiences as a businessman and entrepreneur. Upholding Bernie’s beliefs and values in entrepreneurial philanthropy, the Foundation has five key areas of giving – all with the goal to transform lives through innovative problem solving.  The five focus areas are: medical research and healthcare; Jewish causes; free enterprise, including veteran initiatives and national security; the health and welfare of children, with an emphasis on civics education; and targeted community support. The Foundation has given more than $2.7 billion in grants in the past 30+ years.
 

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.