Mukesh Kumar, PhD, a researcher with the Center for Quality of Life After Stroke in the University of Utah Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, has received the prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award. The award will support his work to develop and pilot test new tools and resources for persons with stroke and caregivers as they transition from hospital to home.
The award, from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), provides $134,000 in research support during the one-year K99 phase, followed by $747,000 for the three-year R00 phase, contingent on transition to the R00 phase.
The K99/R00 award is designed to support promising early-career researchers as they transition to independent investigators and tenure-track faculty positions.
Dr. Kumar’s funded project, “Co-Developing the My Ultimate Stroke Toolkit (MUST): A User-Centered Post-Discharge Education and Training Program for Stroke Survivors and Caregivers,” addresses a critical challenge in stroke recovery: supporting persons with stroke and caregivers after hospital discharge.
Supporting Recovery Beyond Hospitalization
For many persons with stroke and caregivers, the transition home marks the beginning of a new set of challenges. They may need to navigate changes in physical function, emotional well-being, social participation, and caregiving responsibilities while having less access to the structured support available during acute hospitalization and rehabilitation.
The MUST program aims to help bridge that gap by providing personalized and accessible education, training, and support that continues after discharge.
The intervention will combine a personalized digital app, digital literacy training, and an iPad loan program to support access to information and training. Importantly, MUST will be co-developed with persons who have experienced stroke and their caregivers. The lived experiences, challenges, and priorities will inform the program’s content and design, helping ensure that the tools and resources are practical, accessible, and responsive to the challenges and needs patients and families face after returning home.
Improving Quality of Life after Stroke
The project’s long-term goals are to improve quality of life after stroke, support functional recovery, reduce caregiver burden, and help prevent avoidable complications and hospital readmissions.
The award also marks an important step in Dr. Kumar’s transition into a tenure-track faculty position, providing support to advance his research while contributing to the broader goal of improving outcomes for people living with stroke.
Dr. Kumar’s work also supports the University of Utah’s broader commitment to advancing research that can improve health and quality of life for patients and their caregivers. By combining technology, rehabilitation research, and direct input from persons with stroke and caregivers, the MUST project aims to develop practical solutions that extend support beyond the walls of the hospitals.