Precisionary Webinar: Brian Christie on “”Traumatic brain injury TBI changes in synaptic plasticity” [Video]

Original webinar date: April 30, 2024

Dr. Christie earned his Ph.D. from the University of Otago, collaborating with Dr. W. “Cliff” Abraham in the renowned Graham Goddard laboratory complex, where he investigated long-term depression of synaptic efficacy. Following this, he relocated to Houston, Texas, working alongside Dr. Daniel Johnston at Baylor College of Medicine. He then served as a HHMI post-doctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Terry Sejnowski at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences. In 1999, Dr. Christie embarked on his academic career at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine before joining the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2001. At UBC, he played an integral role in the Brain Research Center, now known as the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. Subsequently, in 2007, Dr. Christie established his laboratory at the newly formed UBC Island Medical Program in Victoria. His research endeavors focus on brain plasticity, with a particular emphasis on facilitating functional recovery in both acquired (e.g., brain injury) and congenital (e.g., FASD, FXS) neuropathological conditions in the aging brain.

In this webinar, Dr. Christie will:
1. Analyze the clinical relevance of closed-head impact models in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).
2. Evaluate the brain’s inflammatory pattern post-mTBI to discern the presence of a center of mass injury, rather than contre-coup.
3. Assess the impact of closed head injuries on the hippocampus as a crucial brain structure.
4. Examine the sex-specific alterations in brain plasticity subsequent to mTBI.