# preferredTitle
University Distinguished Professor and Department Head

# positions[].label
University Distinguished Professor and Department Headd

# overview
My research interests lie at the intersection of neuroendocrinology, neuroinflammation and aging. For the last 10 years, my work has focused on ischemic stroke, specifically, to understand how the aging brain copes with stroke. In North America, stroke risk increases with age and in this aging demographic, women are more likely to sustain a stroke and more likely to have long term disability, poor quality of life and have more neuropsychiatric problems after stroke such as depression and cognitive impairment. This problem is compounded by the fact that few stroke therapies are available. Most stroke neuroprotectants have not been successfully translated from the bench to bedside. Using preclinical models, we have focused on acute pathological changes at the blood brain barrier and central and peripheral inflammation as well as long-term consequences, such as changes to reward pathways and post-stroke depression and dementia. I am also interested in developing novel stroke therapies for stroke in this population and our studies on epigenetic modifications such as histone methylation and non-coding (mi)RNA due to aging/stroke have provided several candidate molecules. Our recent work focuses on the role of the gut microbiome and gut metabolites on stroke recovery, and its potential for understanding the pathophysiology of stroke.

Related to my research goals, I am actively interested in promoting the inclusion of sex as a biological variable and attention to sex differences in medicine. Through medical and graduate coursework, research seminars and community talks, I am a vocal advocate for recognizing sex and gender differences in disease processes and drug therapies. I founded the Women's Health in Neuroscience program at Texas A&M University College of Medicine to create a community of researchers and foster collaboration on gender medicine and women's health, and to train new scholars in this area.

# keywords[]
Alzheimer's Disease Including Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ad/adrd)

# keywords[]
3214 Pharmacology And Pharmaceutical Sciences

# keywords[]
Alzheimer's Disease Including Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (ad/adrd)

# keywords[]
4201 Allied Health And Rehabilitation Science

# keywords[]
SICER, Spatial Clustering For Identification Of ChIP-enriched Regions

# keywords[]
Iba-1, Ionized Calcium Binding Adaptor Molecule 1

# keywords[]
QPCR, Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
VEGF, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, MRNA

# keywords[]
PECAM, Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

# keywords[]
CASP8 And FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein

# keywords[]
Intracellular Signaling Peptides And Proteins

# keywords[]
Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
Columbia University - (New York, New York, United States)

# educationAndTraining[].organization.label
University of Rochester - (Rochester, New York, United States)

# publications[].label
Astrocyte-specific insulin-like growth factor-1 gene transfer in aging female rats improves stroke outcomes.

# publications[].label
Sex differences in miRNA as therapies for ischemic stroke.

# publications[].label
Assessing Depression and Cognitive Impairment Following Stroke and Neurotrauma: Behavioral Methods for Quantifying Impairment and Functional Recovery.

# publications[].label
Estrogen-IGF-1 interactions in neuroprotection: ischemic stroke as a case study.

# publications[].label
Sex and the Lab: An Alcohol-Focused Commentary on the NIH Initiative to Balance Sex in Cell and Animal Studies.

# publications[].label
Guarding the blood-brain barrier: a role for estrogen in the etiology of neurodegenerative disease.

# publications[].label
Gonadal steroid receptors: Possible roles in the etiology and therapy of cognitive and neurological disorders

# publications[].label
Characterization of neurons born and incorporated into a vocal control nucleus during avian song learning.

# publications[].label
Sex differences in cognitive impairment after focal ischemia in middle-aged rats and the effect of iv miR-20a-3p treatment

# publications[].label
Selective impairment of song learning following lesions of a forebrain nucleus in the juvenile zebra finch.

# publications[].label
Impact of intestinal disorders on central and peripheral nervous system diseases.

# publications[].label
Vascular and metabolic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: a review.

# publications[].label
Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its cognate receptor, TrkB, in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus.

# publications[].label
Neurotrophin expression in the reproductively senescent forebrain is refractory to estrogen stimulation.

# publications[].label
Sex Differences in the Long-Term Consequences of Stroke.

# publications[].label
An antagomir to microRNA Let7f promotes neuroprotection in an ischemic stroke model.

# publications[].label
Presumptive Estrogen Target Neurons Express mRNAs for both the Neurotrophins and Neurotrophin Receptors: A Basis for Potential Developmental Interactions of Estrogen with the Neurotrophins.

# publications[].label
Histone methylation patterns in astrocytes are influenced by age following ischemia.

# publications[].label
Reciprocal regulation of estrogen and NGF receptors by their ligands in PC12 cells.

# publications[].label
Local and cortical effects of olfactory bulb lesions on trophic support and cholinergic function and their modulation by estrogen.

# publications[].label
Premenopausal oophorectomy and the risk for dementia.

# publications[].label
The neurotoxic effects of estrogen on ischemic stroke in older female rats is associated with age-dependent loss of insulin-like growth factor-1.

# publications[].label
Developmental regulation of NMDA receptor 2B subunit mRNA and ifenprodil binding in the zebra finch anterior forebrain.

# publications[].label
Vitamin D deficiency exacerbates experimental stroke injury and dysregulates ischemia-induced inflammation in adult rats.

# publications[].label
Blood brain barrier and neuroinflammation are critical targets of IGF-1-mediated neuroprotection in stroke for middle-aged female rats.

# publications[].label
Stroke triggers nigrostriatal plasticity and increases alcohol consumption in rats.

# publications[].label
17beta-estradiol differentially regulates blood-brain barrier permeability in young and aging female rats.

# publications[].label
Temporal expression of IL-1beta protein and mRNA in the brain after systemic LPS injection is affected by age and estrogen.

# publications[].label
Developmental and hormonal regulation of NR2A mRNA in forebrain regions controlling avian vocal learning.

# publications[].label
Sex differences in stroke co-morbidities.

# publications[].label
Fetal Alcohol Exposure Alters Blood Flow and Neurological Responses to Transient Cerebral Ischemia in Adult Mice.

# publications[].label
Mir363-3p attenuates post-stroke depressive-like behaviors in middle-aged female rats.

# publications[].label
The histone deacetylase inhibitor, sodium butyrate, exhibits neuroprotective effects for ischemic stroke in middle-aged female rats.

# publications[].label
Synopsis Theme: Targeting Astrocytes for Poststroke Recovery.

# publications[].label
Prenatal alcohol-induced sex differences in immune, metabolic and neurobehavioral outcomes in adult rats.

# publications[].label
A high cholesterol diet elevates hippocampal cytokine expression in an age and estrogen-dependent manner in female rats.

# publications[].label
Alcohol exposure during the first two trimesters equivalent alters granule cell number and neurotrophin expression in the developing rat olfactory bulb.

# publications[].label
Sex hormones and stroke: Beyond estrogens.

# publications[].label
Stroke neuroprotection: oestrogen and insulin-like growth factor-1 interactions and the role of microglia.

# publications[].label
The neurotrophin receptor p75NTR mediates early anti-inflammatory effects of estrogen in the forebrain of young adult rats.

# publications[].label
Mir363-3p improves ischemic stroke outcomes in female but not male rats.

# publications[].label
Estrogen: a neuroprotective or proinflammatory hormone? Emerging evidence from reproductive aging models.

# publications[].label
Sex differences in stroke outcome correspond to rapid and severe changes in gut permeability in adult Sprague-Dawley rats.

# publications[].label
Adverse effects of incorporating ketoprofen into established rodent studies.

# publications[].label
Estrogen receptors colocalize with low-affinity nerve growth factor receptors in cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain.

# publications[].publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

# publications[].label
Nerve growth factor (NGF) regulation of estrogen receptors in explant cultures of the developing forebrain.

# publications[].label
Prenatal alcohol exposure exacerbates acute sensorimotor deficits and impedes long-term behavioral recovery from the effects of an adult-onset cerebrovascular ischemic stroke.

# publications[].label
Interactions of estrogen with the neurotrophins and their receptors during neural development.

# publications[].label
Region- and peptide-specific regulation of the neurotrophins by estrogen.

# publications[].label
Ethanol regulates angiogenic cytokines during neural development: evidence from an in vitro model of mitogen-withdrawal-induced cerebral cortical neuroepithelial differentiation.

# publications[].label
Revisiting the timing hypothesis: biomarkers that define the therapeutic window of estrogen for stroke.

# publications[].label
Considering sex as a biological variable in preclinical research.

# publications[].label
Estrogen receptor-alpha overexpression suppresses 17beta-estradiol-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor expression and activation of survival kinases.

# publications[].label
Why estrogens matter for behavior and brain health.

# publications[].label
Reproductive age modulates the impact of focal ischemia on the forebrain as well as the effects of estrogen treatment in female rats.

# publications[].label
Fas/Apo [apoptosis]-1 and associated proteins in the differentiating cerebral cortex: induction of caspase-dependent cell death and activation of NF-kappaB.

# publications[].label
Sex Differences in Neurological Diseases

# publications[].label
Age-related changes in brain support cells: Implications for stroke severity.

# publications[].label
Estrogen's effects on central and circulating immune cells vary with reproductive age.

# publications[].label
Circulating miRNA profiles provide a biomarker for severity of stroke outcomes associated with age and sex in a rat model.

# publications[].label
Age and sex differences in post-ischemic outcome and therapy.

# publications[].label
Differential effects of estrogen in the injured forebrain of young adult and reproductive senescent animals.

# publications[].label
Hormone replacement: Therapeutic strategies in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and ageing-related cognitive disorders

# publications[].label
Sex Differences in Stroke Outcome Are Associated With Constitutive Gut Dysbiosis and Stroke-induced Gut Permeability

# publications[].label
Projections of androgen-accumulating neurons in a nucleus controlling avian song.

# publications[].label
Effects of estrogen receptor agonists on regulation of the inflammatory response in astrocytes from young adult and middle-aged female rats.

# publications[].label
Estrogen Differentially Regulates Estrogen and Nerve Growth Factor Receptor mRNAs in Adult Sensory Neurons

# publications[].label
April Stroke Literature Synopses (Preclinical).

# publications[].label
Identification of a putative estrogen response element in the gene encoding brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

# publications[].publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

# publications[].publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)

# publications[].label
Morphine increases macrophages at the lesion site following spinal cord injury: Protective effects of minocycline.

# publications[].label
Neuronal colocalization of mRNAs for neurotrophins and their receptors in the developing central nervous system suggests a potential for autocrine interactions.

# publications[].publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

# publications[].label
Estrogen enhances retrograde transport of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the rodent forebrain.

# publications[].label
Sex Differences in the Impact of Shift Work Schedules on Pathological Outcomes in an Animal Model of Ischemic Stroke.

# publications[].label
Intestinal epithelial stem cell transplants as a novel therapy for cerebrovascular stroke.

# publications[].label
Astrocytes from acyclic female rats exhibit lowered capacity for neuronal differentiation.

# publications[].label
Overexpression of NGF ameliorates ethanol neurotoxicity in the developing cerebellum.

# publications[].label
The aging ovary impairs acute stroke outcomes.

# publications[].label
Age-related severity of focal ischemia in female rats is associated with impaired astrocyte function.

# publications[].label
Sex differences in the brain: Implications for behavioral and biomedical research.

# publications[].label
NGF stimulation increases JNK2 phosphorylation and reduces caspase-3 activity in the olfactory bulb of estrogen-replaced animals.

# publications[].label
Age-related changes in neuroprotection: is estrogen pro-inflammatory for the reproductive senescent brain?

# publications[].label
Gonadal hormones and stroke risk: PCOS as a case study.

# publications[].label
Astrocytic response to cerebral ischemia is influenced by sex differences and impaired by aging.

# publications[].label
Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-1 treatment stabilizes the microvascular cytoskeleton under ischemic conditions.

# publications[].label
Response to comment on: Intestinal epithelial stem cell transplants as a novel therapy for cerebrovascular stroke.

# publications[].label
Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-I Modulates Endothelial Blood-Brain Barrier Function in Ischemic Middle-Aged Female Rats.

# publications[].label
Sex differences in stroke: Review of current knowledge and evidence.

# publications[].label
Reproductive age-related changes in the blood brain barrier: expression of IgG and tight junction proteins.

# researcherOn[].label
Circadian Clock Disruption and Ischemic Stroke Outcomes: Age and Sex Differences

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

# researcherOn[].label
Estrogens, Ovarian Aging and Calcium Channel Modulation

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Molecular Mechanisms of Drug-Induced Liver Injury

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders

# researcherOn[].label
Derivation of the Mechanisms Mediating the Adverse Effects of Morphine in a Rodent Model of SCI: Functional Recovery and Neuron Loss

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
United States Army - (Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DOD-Army-Medical Research and Materiel Command

# researcherOn[].label
Epigenetics of the Aging Astrocyte: Implications for Stroke

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Prenatal microRNA Neuro-Therapeutics for Fetal Alcohol Exposure

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

# researcherOn[].label
Prenatal Alcohol and Stroke Susceptibility in the Aging Adult with FASD

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

# researcherOn[].label
Epigenetics of the Aging Astrocyte: Implications for Stroke

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].label
Neuroprotection In the Aging Female Brain

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.label
National Institutes of Health - (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)

# researcherOn[].awardedBy.preferredLabel
DHHS-NIH-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

# streetAddress
Texas A&M Health Science Center; Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics; 1359 TAMUS