Vasileios Christopoulos, an assistant professor in the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been awarded a Brain Research Foundation grant for his bladder control research. Image/ChatGPT
Assistant professor of biomedical engineering at USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Vasileios Christopoulos, has been awarded highly competitive seed funding from the Brain Research Foundation to examine how the spinal cord and brain control micturition — the urination process. This significant $100,000 award marks the first time a USC investigator has received the BRF Seed Grant. Christopoulos will be working closely with his collaborators at the USC Neurorestoration Center at Keck School of Medicine of USC, including center director and professor of biomedical engineering at USC Viterbi Charles Liu, center associate director Darrin Lee, and USC assistant professor of urology Evgeniy Kreydin.
Micturition is a carefully orchestrated process in healthy individuals, allowing the bladder to store and release urine appropriately. However, this essential function can be severely disrupted by neurological conditions such as spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease, leading to debilitating problems like incontinence or difficulty emptying the bladder. These conditions profoundly impact quality of life, particularly in older adults, and urinary dysfunction can lead to poor mental health and increased risk of severe urinary tract infections. Despite its importance, scientists currently lack a full understanding of how the brain and spinal cord coordinate during micturition, partly because existing brain imaging methods like MRI lack the necessary resolution, sensitivity, and comfort, especially for the crucial spinal cord.
Assistant Professor Vasileios Christopoulos
The BRF project will employ functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI), a novel technique that allows for real-time, detailed observation of changes in blood flow within the brain and spinal cord. Using animal models, his team will track the responses of different nervous system regions as the bladder fills and empties to understand the neural mechanisms of micturition in the brain and spinal cord. They are also developing artificial intelligence tools to provide the first proof of concept that the state of the bladder can be predicted solely from neural activity in the brain and spinal cord. This approach can open a new avenue for developing novel treatments for restoring bladder control in patients with neurogenic bladder dysfunction.
“I’m honored to receive this very prestigious award from the BRF,” Christopoulos said. “In collaboration with the USC Neurorestoration Center, our goal is to uncover how the nervous system controls micturition. By gaining a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms of micturition, we aim to develop innovative strategies that can accurately monitor bladder function and restore voluntary control. This knowledge has the potential to transform the way we treat neurogenic bladder dysfunction, improving independence, dignity, and quality of life for affected patients.”
Christopoulos is an Assistant Professor in the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, with additional appointments at the Keck School of Medicine at USC and as a visiting associate at Caltech. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota and his B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from the Technical University of Crete, Greece.
His research, conducted at the Systems Neural Engineering Laboratory at USC, aims to shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying higher-order cognitive functions such as motor control, decision-making, and learning. In recent years, he has broadened his research to include clinical studies involving patients with brain and spinal cord injuries, with a particular focus on brain–machine interface development and the application of fUSI in neurological and psychiatric disorders. Christopoulos’ collaborative efforts aim to translate fundamental neuroscience understanding into clinical applications to help patients regain vital functions.
Published on August 14th, 2025
Last updated on August 14th, 2025