Overview

My research interests include understanding the factors that may exacerbate or ameliorate the effects of traumatic brain injury  (TBI)  on neurologic structure and function.  To this end,  my lab is focused on characterizing and developing tools for investigating ferrets.

TBI  models, given that the structure of the ferret's brain more closely resembles the human brain than popular rodent models. Our primary area of concentration is on military-relevant injuries,  including combined under-vehicle blast and impact  TBI, as well as  TBI + hemorrhagic shock.

Ongoing research sponsored by the U.S. Air Force has shown that exposure to low air pressure (hypobaria—modeling air travel)  worsens neurologic outcomes after  TBI,  particularly in the case of repeated exposures.  This will inform guidelines for the safe transport of TBI patients.

Team Members

Julie Proctor, Manager of Laboratory Research

Apurva Borcar, Research Associate

Parisa Rangghran, Research Specialist

Boris Piskoun, Research Specialist

Amanda Hrdlick, Research Assistant

Dominique Wright, Lab Helper

Publications:

• Goodfellow, M. J., Medina, J. A., Proctor, J. L., Xu, S., Gullapalli, R. P., Rangghran, P., Miller, C., Vesselinov,A.,  &  Fiskum,  G.  (2022). Combined  Traumatic  Brain  Injury  and  Hemorrhagic  Shock  in  Ferrets  Leads  to Structural, Neurochemical, and Functional Impairments. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2022 Oct;39(19-20):1442-1452. https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2022.0102. PMID: 35481784.
• Tchantchou,  F.,  Miller,  C., Goodfellow,  M., Puche, A., &  Fiskum, G. (2021). Hypobaria-Induced  Oxidative Stress  Facilitates Homocysteine Transsulfuration  and  Promotes  Glutathione  Oxidation  in  Rats  with  Mild Traumatic  Brain  Injury. Journal  of Central  Nervous  System  Disease.  2021 Jan 31:13:1179573520988193.
• Tchantchou, F., Goodfellow,  M.,  Li, F., Ramsue, L.,  Miller,  C.,  Puche,  A., &  Fiskum, G. (2021).
  Hyperhomocysteinemia-Induced Oxidative Stress Exacerbates Cortical Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes in Rats. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. 2021 Apr;41(3):487-503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-020-00866-7.
• Goodfellow, M. J., Borcar, A., Proctor, J. L., Greco, T., Rosenthal, R. E., & Fiskum, G. (2020). Transcriptional activation of antioxidant gene expression by Nrf2 protects against mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal death associated with acute and chronic neurodegeneration. Experimental Neurology. 2020 Jun:328:113247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113247.

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