Neonatology Research Labs
Cynthia Bearer, MD
The Bearer Lab examines how environmental factors affect neurodevelopment in preterm infants. Currently, Dr. Bearer's laboratory is focused on the effects of ethanol, bilirubin and hypoxia-ischemia on brain development and how these neurotoxic exposures inhibit the function of lipid rafts. Lipid rafts, specialized micro domains of the plasma membrane, are critical for cell-to-cell signaling in cerebellar development and brain stem function, including the control of respiration.
Peter M. MacFarlane, PhD
The MacFarlane Lab focuses its research around microglia (immune cells of the central nervous system) and components of the extracellular matrix (the structural network of soft tissue) and how they contribute to respiratory system development. A particular conceptual focus of his research involves understanding the vulnerability of the respiratory system to exogenous stressors such as hypoxia and inflammation, particularly during critical windows of development.
Collaborators
Samudragupta Bora, PhD
The Bora Lab’s primary area of research expertise is the neurodevelopmental follow-up of high-risk neonates in both high-income and low- and middle-income countries. Research studies span two core themes: 1) develop a better understanding of the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of high-risk neonates, and 2) discover the independent and interdependent roles of neurological and social factors underlying these outcomes.