Barrow Aneurysm and AVM Research Center

Support Barrow scientists developing novel treatments for aneurysm and AVM patients.

Donate to Aneurysm and AVM Research

The most frightening part about having a brain aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is that you may not even know it until it’s too late. These vascular malformations typically do not cause symptoms until they become very large or rupture. When a rupture does occur, it causes bleeding in the brain that can have life-altering or fatal consequences. To help change these outcomes, Barrow accepts challenges by taking on patients who are deemed ‘inoperable’ by others.

Your Donations Help Scientists Push Boundaries in Research

Led by Barrow Neurological Institute President and CEO Michael T. Lawton, MD, the Barrow Aneurysm and AVM Research Center conducts vital research into the genetics, formation, and rupture of aneurysms and AVMs. Scientists in the Center continuously push boundaries in research to develop new, less invasive, and more effective treatments for patients worldwide.

Barrow Neurological Foundation donors provide critical seed funding for scientists to test novel ideas in smaller studies. The preliminary data generated by these initial studies is essential to securing grants from outside entities such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for larger studies and, eventually, clinical trials.

Revolutionizing Aneurysm and AVM Treatment

The Barrow Aneurysm and AVM Research Center pushes the boundaries of care, leading to the development of new, less invasive, and more effective treatments for patients around the world.

Your Support, Their Stories

Grateful patients share how Barrow aneurysm and AVM specialists gave them a second chance at life.

Thank God we got Morgan to Barrow and that Dr. Lawton was there to do the surgery. We were at the best place and in the best hands possible.

[Name Title]

Dr. Lawton saved Morgan’s life after she suffered from a ruptured AVM.

You Advance Life-Saving Aneurysm and AVM Research

Aging and Aneurysm Rupture

Tomoki Hashimoto, MD, is studying age-related biological events that can lead to an aneurysm rupture. This research has two translational potentials: (1) certain drugs that modify these events could be incorporated into a treatment strategy and (2) blood tests that measure these events could be used to predict the risk of an aneurysm rupture.

Familial AVM Drug Targets

S. Paul Oh, PhD, and Lea Scherschinski, MD, are utilizing a preclinical model of familial AVMs to test drug candidates that could prevent them from rupturing. One of the drugs they tested, trametinib, demonstrated the ability to reduce the size of AVMs, thus stabilizing them.

Sporadic AVM Drug Targets

Dr. Oh developed a preclinical model to regulate the overexpression of the KRAS gene, which is linked to the formation of sporadic AVMs. He tested the drug doxycycline in this model, showing that it could suppress the KRAS gene and reduce the size of AVMs.

Improving Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Outcomes

Postdoctoral fellow Takuma Maeda, MD, PhD, is studying a new drug to improve patient outcomes after a subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain caused by an aneurysm rupture). He was awarded one of Barrow Neurological Foundation’s Fast Track Awards to begin this research and recently received a grant from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to expand it.

Discover More Programs

At Barrow Neurological Foundation, your donation is crucial in supporting three key areas: advanced patient care, curative research, and education for the next generation of neuroscientists. Learn more about how your donation impacts each of the areas we treat.