Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), often caused by falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports, and violence, is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Most TBIs are mild (concussion-like) and involve movement of the head in one or more directions, called planes of motion. Although many clinical studies show that movement of the head is associated with outcomes, we don't know whether it matters whether the head is hit straight on or from the side. My project aims to fill this gap by using a mouse model to determine how head motion during impact relates to changes in brain. Using our established TBI model called CHIMERA, I will deliver impact to either the back or the side of the head, and measure how the head moves during these impacts using high-speed cameras. I will next test how these impacts lead to changes in blood biomarkers using the same blood tests that are used in human studies. Finally, I will use cutting-edge methods to examine the brain in 3D and map changes in nerve cells and blood vessels. The importance of this project is to learn how the direction of head motion may modify TBI outcomes, which may inform on contact sport rules and helmet design.