Standifer Lab
The Standifer Lab studies how the brain and body react after serious physical injuries and traumatic experiences. We focus especially on traumatic brain injury (such as concussions), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and long lasting pain.
Our research looks at a natural chemical system in the brain (a neuropeptide) that helps the body keep itself in balance—similar to how a thermostat keeps a house from becoming too hot or too cold. Under normal conditions, this system helps control pain, stress, blood flow in the brain, thinking, and emotional responses. After a major injury or trauma, however, this system can stop working the way it should.
To better understand this process, we use well established animal models that allow us to safely study brain injury and traumatic stress. By doing so, we can see how injury or stress affects balance, movement, learning, memory, anxiety like behaviors, and sensitivity to pain in both males and females.
We find that levels of this neuropeptide increase after brain injury, severe stress, or nerve damage. Instead of helping restore balance, elevated levels of the neuropeptide and its receptor target may contribute to ongoing symptoms such as dizziness, increased pain sensitivity, and anxiety. We believe that this the sudden trauma disrupts regulation of the neuropeptide system and may worsen recovery.
One area of our work tests new treatments that modify neuropeptide activity shortly after injury. For example, we find that reducing the actions of this neuropeptide shortly after a brain injury improves balance and coordination problems and may reduce subsequent neuronal damage and death. This suggests that prompt treatment may protect the brain and improve long term recovery.
In addition, we are exploring how exposure to trauma before pregnancy may affect maternal behavior and how this, in turn, influences stress responses and behavior in offspring. This work may help explain how trauma can affect not just individuals, but potentially the next generation as well.
Overall, our research aims to uncover new ways to reduce the long term effects of brain injury and traumatic stress and to guide the development of better treatments for patients.