Harvard Catalyst Profiles

CURRENT Funding Information:

1. NIH Research Project Award (R21 clinical trial not allowed): 1R21DA058072-01
Title: Impact of Prolonged Perioperative Sedation on Infant Brain
Dates: 09/15/23-08/31/24
The neurodevelopmental impact of prolonged sedation (in weeks) as part of the complex perioperative care is infancy is unknown. This proposal is relevant to the part of the NICHD and NIDA’s mission as it will investigate structural and clinical care aspects of early brain development in esophageal atresia - the most common gastrointestinal birth defect, using structural MRI and neurobehavioral evaluations. Findings will inform the development of rational infant neuroprotective therapies to prevent and minimize neurodevelopmental sequalae in critically ill infants and help reduce the burden to human disability.
BAJIC (PI)


PAST Funding Information:

1. Foundation in Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) Mentored Research Training Grant – Basic Research (MRTG-BR): MRTG-2/15/09-Bajic (Dusica)
Title: Age Differences of Brain Circuits Mediating Morphine Effect and Development of Morphine Tolerance
Dates: 07/01/09-06/30/11
The specific goal of this project is to understand how chronic morphine exposure influences Fos and nNOS expression in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray, an area that is strongly implicated in analgesic tolerance development. Age-dependent effects of morphine exposure are determined using neuroanatomical tools in a rodent model. The broad long-term objective of the proposed research is to understand mechanisms contributing to morphine tolerance during postnatal development.
BAJIC (PI)

2. NIH Support Opportunity for Addiction Research (SOAR) for New Investigators (R03)
Title: Age Differences of Brain Circuits Mediating Morphine Effect and Morphine Tolerance
Dates:10/01/10-08/31/12
Gene expression differences with age and chronic morphine exposure are determined using PCR Arrays (SABiosciences) in a rodent model. The broad long-term objective of the study was to understand mechanisms contributing to morphine tolerance that differ with age.
BAJIC (PI)

3. NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08): 1K08DA035972-01
Title: Immediate and Delayed Effects of Morphine on Brain Circuits: Animal – Human Correlation
Dates: 06/07/13-06/31/18
This mentored clinical scientist research career award (K08) is unique in its translational effort to define the impact of prolonged morphine exposure in the rats of different ages using neuroimaging, behavioral, and immunohistochemical techniques (AIM 1), as well as in children of different ages using neuroimaging (AIM 2). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in both rats and children will allow a translational systems level investigation of prolonged morphine administration and its long-term effects.
BAJIC (PI)

4. The Anesthesia Research Distinguished Trailblazer Award - BASIC SCIENCE, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Research Grant, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Title: Ontogeny of Supraspinal Mechanisms of Addiction
Dates: 01/01/13-12/12/15
Study examined the ontogeny of supraspinal mechanisms of addiction, specifically the role of cholinergic system in adolescent rat brain following chronic morphine administration. Experiments involved systems approach using fMRI, as well as cellular approach (fluorescent immunohistochemistry).
BAJIC (PI)

5. The Anesthesia Research Distinguished Trailblazer Award – CLINICAL RESEARCH, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital
Title: Brain Volume Adaptations with Prolonged Infant Sedation
Dates: 07/01/17-12/15/20
Study examined brain size and growth in the setting of current treatment of full-term infants with prolonged sedation using brain MRI. The endpoints of this work included: (1) elucidation of chronic sedation on brain growth, (2) foundation for subsequent volumetric quantifications of subcortical brain structures, and (3) investigation as to the most efficient brain masking technique for infant brain anatomical MRI images, a pre-requisite for the analysis of other MRI modalities.
BAJIC (PI)

6. 2019 OFD/BTREC/CTREC Faculty Career Development Fellowship, Boston Children’s Hospital
Title: Impact of Infant Rat Morphine Administration on Immediate and Long-Term In-Vivo Brain Size using MRI
Dates: 07/01/19-12/15/21
This study will evaluate structural MRI properties of the whole brain and its parts as an early marker of neurodevelopmental sequelae after prolonged morphine administration in an infant rat model of opioid dependence.
BAJIC (PI)

7. Office of Vice Chair of Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital
Title: Understanding Neurologic Outcomes in Infants Born with Esophageal Atresia: Comprehensive Retrospective Analysis
Dates: 01/01/22-12/30/22
Retrospective analysis at a single center of excellence (The Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center) of (1) frequency of neurological findings, (2) documented neurodevelopmental delay, and (3) frequency of implementation of early intervention - in selected group of infants born with short-gap or long-gap esophageal atresia.
BAJIC (PI)