Doctoral Dissertation Research: Investigating the impact of chronic stress on the growth of the skeletal brain floor

This doctoral dissertation project assesses how and to what extent chronic stress impacts skeletal growth in the brain floor. To achieve this goal, the study uses tissue samples derived from a previous experimental animal model. Understanding the effects of stress on the skull base is important because this region sits directly beneath the developing brain. If the growth of the brain floor is interrupted the resulting skull has an abnormal shape that can impact the developing brain. The study provides valuable health information and tests whether the brain floor area is protected from stressors. By using samples derived from an earlier study, the researchers reduce to zero the number of experimental animals involved in the study. The study supports the training of students with diverse ages and background and contributes to a workshop and museum exhibit. The study uses tissues derived from an experimental murine model in which some mice experienced stressful changes at different ages. Histological and immunohistochemical analyzes are used to measure the effects of stress on the bones, vasculature, and cartilage of the braincase floor (i.e., cranial base). Histomorphometric methods assess cellular morphology and cellular composition, whereas immunohistochemical assays quantify the presence of cytokines on the induction or inhibition of bone formation, and the prevalence of a red blood cell marker on the development of blood vessels in the braincase floor. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.