Our recent research program has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Surgery / USF Morsani College of Medicine. We are grateful to our sponsors who make our research possible.

NIH R01 HL146832

Mechanisms of neurodegeneration by a fibrinogen-containing protein complex during traumatic brain injury
In this project, we investigate mechanisms of formation of fibrinogen (Fg) and cellular prion protein (PrPC) complex in extravascular space during mild to moderate mouse model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). We test effects of this Fg-PrPC complex on astrocyte activation and neuronal degeneration that lead to short-term memory (STM) reduction during TBI. Combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches are used to identify the destructive path to STM deficiency developed during mild to moderate TBI.