West Virginia University Stroke COBRE

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

PROJECT SUMMARY Neurological disorders including stroke are highly prevalent and have substantial medical, financial, and human costs, including behavioral/functional disruptions that negatively impact quality of life. As such, the inclusion of functional assessments in studies of brain disorders is a necessary component of a high-profile, translational, and impactful biomedical research program. In this way, the West Virginia University (WVU) Rodent Behavior Core (RBC), a shared instrumentation facility dedicated to the assessment of functional outcomes in rodents, is a vital component of the WVU Stroke Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (WVU Stroke CoBRE). WVU RBC staff offer comprehensive behavioral testing services from ‘design to dissemination’ that include: consultation on experimental design and task selection, writing assistance, behavior testing training, conducting behavioral tests, maintaining RBC equipment, hardware and software, and data entry and statistical analysis assistance. To date, the RBC offers 27 distinct stroke-relevant tests comprising 5 domains of brain function that have enabled the facility and staff to support the work of 64 WVU investigators and trainees. This support has resulted in the submission of 58 internal and external grant proposals in which behavioral assays were proposed (18 of which have been funded). As well, 26 journal articles that utilized RBC services have been published. For Phase II of the WVU Stroke CoBRE, the RBC will 1) continue to provide high quality resources and operational support to the WVU Stroke CoBRE Junior Investigators, 2) implement new capabilities, facilities, and operation procedures to a productive core to support behavioral assessments, and 3) progress the RBC towards fiscal independence from the WVU Stroke CoBRE. Capitalizing on the successful implementation of the WVU RBC during the initial period, achieving these specific aims will enhance our ability to provide all necessary equipment, resources, and expertise to conduct rodent behavioral assessments to support WVU Stroke CoBRE-funded projects as well as other WVU investigators. This will enable the RBC to become a premiere facility for the assessment of rodent behavior, poise WVU to emerge as a center for excellence in the evaluation of stroke and its comorbidities, and support translational and collaborative research to enhance our understanding of neurological disorders and elucidating possible therapeutic interventions for the treatment of stroke and other brain disease.