A Scientist Steps Up to Serve
Vijaya Prakash Krishnan Muthaiah, PT, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the department of rehabilitation sciences at the University at Buffalo (UB), the State University of New York. His 2019 Emerging Research Grant was generously funded by Royal Arch Research Assistance.
Currently at the UB Brain Plasticity and Neurorehabilitation Laboratory, Krishnan Muthaiah’s research investigates how neurotrauma and occupational hazards—especially noise exposure—affect the inner ear and respective higher centers of the brain. He has been focusing on auditory and vestibular neurodegeneration using both preclinical animal models and human subjects.
He has summarized his research so far stemming from the 2019 grant:
Vijaya Prakash Krishnan Muthaiah, PT, Ph.D., at his U.S. Coast Guard boot camp graduation this year.
And perhaps most significantly, because his research led him to interact with and interview members of the military, this inspired him to serve himself. We cannot think of a more meaningful way to show dedication to the service our military provides.
“I bring veterans from VA Buffalo as our study participants,” Krishnan Muthaiah says. “In addition to blast TBI as my research focus, I also focus on environmental metal ototoxicity.
“During the course of my interaction with many veterans during the studies, I got inspired and inquired about the opportunities,” he continues. “I found that I am eligible to join the U.S. Coast Guard [USCG] though I am 40 years old. Hence, I took the opportunity to join as a reservist and completed the Coast Guard boot camp training.”
Krishnan Muthaiah is a reservist at the Inspections Division, Sector Buffalo, U.S. Coast Guard. “I graduated from the 2022 DEPOT, which is Direct Entry Petty Officer Training Boot Camp, at the USCG in Cape May, New Jersey, with enlisted rank E3,” he says. Upon successful completion of additional training next summer, he will be rank E4.
We very sincerely thank all our service members and veterans for their dedication on this Veterans Day. Krishnan Muthaiah is excited to report he’ll be marching in the Veterans Day parade in Buffalo, New York, too.
Vijaya Prakash Krishnan Muthaiah, PT, Ph.D., is a 2019 Emerging Research Grants scientist generously funded by Royal Arch Research Assistance.
Applications are now open for the 2023-2024 Emerging Research Grants cycle. See hhf.org/how-to-apply for more information.