Tiered Mentoring Program Sleep Disturbance in Traumatic Brain Injury Dr. Amber Kerstetter-Fogle, Research Program Director of Neurology and Complex Care at Summa Health Akron

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) related injuries have increased over the years and the range in severity resulting in hospitalization, disability and death have affected upward of 60 million people worldwide annually.  Blunt force trauma accounts for nearly all of TBI injuries (90%) and produces a gradient of damage that is relative to the impact force and often results in neurodegeneration across the entire brain.  Approximately 40-65% of individuals with TBI report insomnia (Beetar, 1996 and Dikmen, 1986). 

We are developing a translational research model at Summa Health to evaluate the contribution of sleep to recovery from mild to moderate TBI.  Recovery from TBI and the alterations of circadian rhythm can be studied by analyzing expression of particular genes such as CLOCK, BMAL among others that are essential in the feedback loop for circadian rhythm. Long term goals are to interrogate new therapeutics to test the efficacy of augmenting the sleep-wake cycle to promote restorative sleep after brain injury. 

Learning opportunities to gain the following skills: understanding of the scientific process and method, basic science skills, such as pipetting and aseptic techniques, writing proposals and processes, zebrafish husbandry and behavioral testing, proficiency in Microsoft Office, data analysis and literature review. 

Commitment:
Must complete Summa Health’s onboarding process, including health screening and background check, in a timely manner as part of a master research agreement. There will be a minimum of 5 hour/week expectation of a student. We will work around your classes and exam schedule but must be committed to moving the project forward.