Project Mentor
Dr. Rajkumar Verma
Neurosciences
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Description
| Project Description | A primary focus of my lab is to understand post-stroke depression (PSD), which is the most common neuropsychiatric consequence of stroke. PSD can impair functional recovery, which can, in turn, reduce the quality of life, especially among the aged population. However, PSD remains understudied compared to other stroke complications such as a motor, cognitive, or language impairments. Elderly patients fare poorly on stroke outcomes compared to their younger counterparts, a phenotype we have recapitulated in our animal models of stroke. Furthermore, female subjects are significantly more likely to develop PSD and to suffer from a more severe form of PSD compared to age-matched males, which is mirrored in rodent models. Compared to young cohorts, aging mice exhibit exaggerated inflammatory and cytokine responses following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), the most common rodent model of stroke. Increased inflammation activates the peripheral innate immune system, which in turn triggers multiple downstream effects including exacerbated depressive-like behaviors. Age-specific treatment with available antidepressants in clinical PSD populations is highly limited. Moreover, unfavorable outcome such increased hemorrhagic transformation and high mortality in middle-aged adults with the used of fluoxetine, the most common used antidepressant, for PSD treatment further highlights the need to explore relevant, efficacious and safe therapeutic options for PSD in a validated aged animal models to understand their specific mechanism and safety profiles before moving forward with clinical trials. In this project, we will test post-stroke aged mice in several models of depressive phenotypes, PSD development, and motor deficits during prolonged recovery. We test a new FDA-approved drug for the treatment of depression in aged rodents with features of PSD. This study will shed new insights into the treatment of PSD and determine whether this new drug can improve survival, enhance behavioral recovery in aged mice with PSD or not.
Note: Besides post-stroke depression, I have two more projects currently running in my lab. The student will have flexibility to choose the project described above or either of these projects depending on interest and agreement. For more information, students are advised to check my faculty profile (linked above) to know more about my projects and research papers. |
| Project Direction | This project will establish a valid and feasible PSD model to measure long-term behavior outcome precisely. We will also test new experimental drugs in the aged rodent model of PSD. The result of this study will determine a strict timeline for the evaluation of depressive behavior after stroke in aged rodents. Another long-term goal of this project will also be to establish specific mechanisms of action of an experimental drug found effective in PSD. |
| Student Qualifications | I would prefer someone interested and experienced (preferable but not essential) in rodent behavior and biochemical analysis. Candidates interested in Neuroscience or Cardiovascular Science research will be preferred. |
| Time Commitment | 6-9 hours/week |
| Schedule Options | Monday-Friday. 9am-12pm is preferable, but schedule can be discussed on one-to-one basis. |
| Project Continuation | Summer 2017 and/or Fall 2017 |
| Possible Thesis Project | Yes |
Application
Submit an online application for this research opportunity using the form below. The application deadline is Friday, January 6, 2017.
This application requires a resume or CV, a brief statement of research interests, and a brief statement of career interests.