The Lab for the Study of Central Nervous System Injury

Our Mission

To elucidate mechanisms of neural cell death associated with central nervous system injury and to develop novel neuroprotective treatments.

The Laboratory for the Study of Central Nervous System Injury uses a multidisciplinary approach to study mechanisms of cell death and recovery following injury. It includes 8 faculty level investigators, 8 post-doctoral fellows, 5 research assistants, and varying numbers of students. There are multiple collaborative programs with other academic faculty, federal research labs, and industry.

Methodology

We utilize a wide variety of experimental techniques: molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, histology/histochemistry, behavioral assessment, magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, and molecular modeling.

Experimental Models

We use a diverse array of in vitro and in vivo models to address experimental questions: fluid percussion head injury (rats), controlled cortical impact (mice), diffuse brain injury (rats and mice); impact spinal cord injury (rats and mice); transgenic models, in vitro cortical neuronal cultures and neuronal-glial co-cultures subjected to mechanical injury, stretch injury, oxygen-glucose deprivation, apoptotic inducers or necrosis inducers, cerebellar granular cell cultures, and cell lines.