CENTER FOR BRAIN HEALTH

A stroke can change one’s life in an instant. Stroke survivors often face long-term difficulty with memory, movement, coordination and everyday activities. For decades, stroke research largely focused on protecting brain cells from further injury. What if greater stroke recovery is possible by helping the brain replace cells it has already lost?

By investigating how the young brain recovers after stroke, neuroscientist Krista Rodgers, PhD, is identifying mechanisms that could help restore function and reduce long-term disability in adult stroke survivors.

The effects of sleep deprivation extend far beyond feeling tired. Sleep deprivation is associated with impaired memory, poor judgment, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and more.

For generations, the unknowns in neurology carried a frustrating limitation. Today, neurology is no longer limited to diagnosing and managing disease.

Most people know that high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking increase stroke risk. Fewer realize that poor sleep is increasingly recognized as an important factor in long-term brain health and stroke prevention.

Most people think of sleep as a time when the body rests. Sleep is also one of the most important times for brain health. While you sleep, your brain cleans house.

From high school students to undergraduate summer researchers and medical students to graduate trainees and postdoctoral fellows, Karen Stokes, PhD, introduces future scientists and physicians to the research enterprise.