My laboratory is interested in understanding how steroid hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and natural estrogens from plants regulate brain function in injury and aging.
We use both cell and animal models to examine the underlying mechanisms of steroid action under conditions in which they are beneficial and those in which they are not in order to understand what key factors result in beneficial effects on the brain. Our goal is to determine the conditions in which these compounds can be safely and effectively used to provide ongoing brain health and treat brain injury and disease.
Additional projects are focused on using novel compounds to protect and regenerate brain tissue after stroke and traumatic brain injury.