Perioperative Neurosciences and PainSubthemes in this research area include:
For example, James Hecker is developing both biomarkers and novel non-viral vehicles for CNS expression of heat shock proteins in primates and eventually patients. Likewise, Andrew Kofke is exploring genetic risk factors and biomarkers for CNS damage in patients undergoing cardiac and major vascular surgery. Similarly, Albert Cheung and Stuart Weiss are developing biomarkers and clinical methods for preserving the spinal cord during aortic aneurism surgery.
Roderic Eckenhoff is exploring whether specific anesthetic protein interactions might contribute to synaptic injury and neuronal loss in progressive neurodegenerating diseases, such as Alzheimer's. William Armstead's research focuses on characterizing mechanisms important in the control of cerebral hemodynamics under physiologic and pathologic conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and cerebral hypoxia/ischemia, particularly in the newborn. Current projects focus on interactions between the NMDA receptor and plasminogen activators after TBI, optimizing the efficacy/toxicity ratio of tPA, the only FDA approved treatment for stroke and translational research concerning the roles of sex and age in outcome after pediatric TBI. Exploring a novel potential mechanism of anesthetic neurotoxicity, Huafeng Wei studies the effects of anesthetics on calcium regulation, particularly the IP3 receptor. Max Kelz is studying the overlap between the neurobiology of sleep and anesthesia. Renyu Liu, is investigating the molecular interactions between opioids and their receptors using multiple approaches, including protein model and modeling, docking and molecular dynamic simulations, receptor engineering, thermodynamics, and high resolution structures. Michael Ashburn, the Director of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care is conducting NIH funded clinical trials into novel therapies for chronic pain. Jane Ballantyne is developing an outcomes research program to study the health consequences of pain and pain treatments. A focus of this research will be on the clinical sequelae of long term administration of opioids as related to the neuroadaptations that produce tolerance, hyperalgesia and dependence. David Eckmann is studying the neurobiology of cerebrovascular gas embolism and the prevention of CNS injury by administration of intravascular surfactants and perfluorocarbons. Rita Valentino, PhD, head of the Stress Neurobiology Group, and colleagues, Sheryl Beck and Seema Bhatnagar, are studying the effects of stressful stimuli on brain function and behavior. Raymond Roginski has discovered a novel gene, GRINL, that may play a role in glutamatergic signaling. Finally, E. Andrew Ochroch is studying the genetic and gender basis of surgical pain in thoracic surgery patients.
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Initiations and mechanisms of apoptosis
Perioperative medicine carries a risk for neural injury via many mechanisms, but has the unique advantage of temporal predictability. Mechanisms of and strategies for neuroprotection comprise a rapidly expanding focus of several of the basic and clinical investigators in the department. 
This theme is marked by strong collaborations with the departments of 