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Current Medical Student Summer Research Fellows

·	Current Medical Student Research Fellows

Neal Mehan Institution: University of Cincinnati The study tests the hypothesis that overexpression of specific proteins makes the aged brain more vulnerable to injury. Rats of different age groups were examined after undergoing an established model of lateral controlled cortical impact. Hippocampus and perirhinal cortex were microdissected from frozen 300 µm sections and proteins were separated using two dimensional gel electrophoresis. Differences in protein expression between age groups (injured vs. sham) are being analyzed using computer-assisted spot comparison software. After detection of differential expression, spot identification will be accomplished by using tryptic peptide analysis obtained via mass-spectrometry to identify candidate protein sequences. Western blots (when specific antibodies are available) or in situ hybridization histochemistry (oligonucleotide probes) will be used to confirm age- and injury-mediated differences in hippocampal and cortical gene expression. Finally, the biochemical pathways served by each differentially expressed protein will be established to evaluate its potential for targeting in novel treatments for TBI.