Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an alteration in brain function caused by an external force. TBI is the number one cause of death and disability in the pediatric population. In addition, there are well over 5 million individuals in the U.S. currently living with chronic disability related to a previous TBI. At UC Davis, we have a team of neuroscientists and clinician scientists, anchored by the Departments of Neurological Surgery and Neurology, who are dedicated to the study and the development of novel therapies for TBI. 19 faculty members from 4 departments and 4 centers work in this area. Clinical research is primarily focused on outcome research, particularly regarding new developing technologies for the management of severe TBI, as well better understanding risk factors for and potential therapeutic targets against post-traumatic epilepsy. We also use positron emission tomography (PET) to non-invasively measure brain inflammation after TBI and how that effects outcome. There is also close collaboration between the Neurological Surgery, Burn Surgery, Trauma Surgery and the UC Davis Center for Precision Medicine Data Sciences to investigate how to individualize patient care in setting of polytrauma patients. In the lab, we are using advanced in-vivo electrophysiology techniques to identify systems-level changes in brain function, with the goal of developing novel and innovative neuromodulatory approaches for treating patients suffering chronic cognitive deficits following traumatic brain injury.
Faculty studying traumatic brain injury include:
| Robert F. Berman, Ph.D. | Neurodevelopmental disorders; TBI; neurotoxicology |
| Gene Gurkoff, Ph.D. | Developing therapies to improve neural connectivity for patients with neurological disease |
| Patrick M. Fuller, Ph.D. | Brain substrates of behavioral state control |
| Griffith R. Harsh IV, M.D., M.A., M.B.A | Tumors of the brain, pituitary gland and skull base; stereotactic radiosurgery |
| Kee D. Kim, M.D. | Spine surgery and spinal disorders |
| Da Zhi Liu, Ph.D. | Cancer elements in neurological diseases; traumatic brain injury, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke |
| Bruce G. Lyeth, Ph.D. | Preclinical studies of traumatic brain injury focusing on secondary injury mechanisms and development of therapies. |
| Lori Kennedy Madden, Ph.D., RN, ACNP-BC, CCRN-K, CNRN, FNCS | Clinical markers and neurologic outcome following TBI |
| Norika Malhado-Chang, M.D. | Movement disorders |
| Ryan Martin, M.D. | Traumatic brain injury; imaging of post-traumatic neuro-inflammation |
| Allan Martin, M.D. Ph.D., F.R.C.S.C. | Spine imaging and surgery |
| Karen Moxon, Ph.D. | Neural encoding and plasticity, neuroprosthetics, neuroengineering, brain-machine interfaces |
| Manuel F. Navedo, Ph.D. | Mechanisms controlling vascular function in health and disease |
| Erkin Seker, Ph.D. | Multifunctional electrodes; nucleic acid sensors; microfluidic tissue models |
| Kia Shahlaie, M.D., Ph.D. | Deep brain stimulation techniques to improve learning and memory function; traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease |
| Sergey Stavisky, Ph.D. | Brain-computer interfaces for restoring speech and reach and grasp |
| Jeffrey Vitt, M.D. | Neurocritical care |
| Jennifer L. Whistler, Ph.D. | Effects of clinically important drugs and drugs of abuse on the brain |
| Lara L. Zimmermann, M.D. | Clinical trials; TBI; neurocritical care |