Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury from falls, automobile accidents, sport injuries and military combat affects hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. Our research programs on the effects of trauma to the brain and spinal cord examine the structure and function of neural circuits and cognitive performance following traumatic injury. The goal is identification of genetic, biochemical and structural biomarkers and development of novel methods of diagnosis and treatment. A major focus of our traumatic brain injury program is the development of stem cell based therapies to aid recovery from brain trauma. Our programs will integrate clinical research using patients as well as bench research on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of brain repair. Our plans for the future include using structural and functional magnetic imaging technology to supplement and expand our clinical and basic research programs.