Charlotte Gibson
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Erin Giles
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Kinesiology / Kinesiology
Program:
Authors: Charlotte Gibson, Katherine Sanchez, Kayli Colpitts, James Grau, Erin Giles
Session: Session 2: 10:00 am – 10:50 am
Poster: 57
Abstract
Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are frequently accompanied by polytrauma, or additional tissue damage. This polytrauma can later create a secondary injury due (tissue loss), which negatively impacts long-term recovery. Despite the fact that >20% of spinal cord injuries (SCI) occur in females and these numbers are rising, preclinical studies have historically used male models, and surprisingly little is known about how cyclic variation in female sex hormones affects secondary injury, the development of chronic pain, and recovery. Our preliminary data shows that for females, the rat’s stage of the estrous cycle and presence/absence of sex organs at the time of a spinal cord injury could impact both the injury itself as well as later nociceptive stimulation. The ongoing studies in our lab are examining how 1) sex differences (male vs female), and 2) natural variation across the estrous cycle, impacts both the injury and any further polytrauma. Further, our studies are exploring relationships between cellular and behavioral outcomes, with the goal of understanding how changes in inflammation, cell death, and hemorrhage, impact long-term recovery. Finally, studies manipulating sex hormones in these models will allow us to dive deeper into the impact of the estrous cycle on these injuries, and possible hormone based treatments with clinical applications.
