Welcome to the Brown Lab at the West Virginia University School of Medicine! We are members of of the Department of Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, and Center for Basic and Translational Stroke Research, with a joint appointment in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology

The Brown laboratory studies brain-immune interactions that occur in acute and chronic systemic inflammation, with an emphasis on the brain-microvascular interface. Current studies address how brain microvascular endothelial cells integrate systemic and CNS inflammatory responses to maintain cerebral homeostasis through the enzyme tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP).

We combine animal models of ischemic stroke, sepsis, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with in vitro brain endothelial cell models to address our research questions. The goal of our research is to identify the short-term and long-term repercussions of acute systemic inflammatory conditions, including stroke, sepsis and AD, as well as uncover some of the sex-specific factors that contribute to neurological dysfunction and disease. Please peruse our recent publications to learn more about our exciting research!

Lab News: Our microbiome work was recently featured in a webinar sponsored by Shoreline Biome. Check out the media coverage of our lab’s exciting work on sepsis and dementia,  stroke and the gut microbiome, and sex differences.  For more updates, please see our lab blog.