UCSF Neurological Surgery faculty since 2006
 
Dr. Bresnahan's research focuses on understanding the biological underpinnings of neurotrauma, particularly spinal cord injury, with the goal of improving recovery for individuals who suffer damage to the nervous system. Her laboratory has developed a number of models to study cellular systems and behavioral changes that occur as a consequence of injury. Her major research interests are cell death mechanisms, including excitotoxicity; regeneration and repair (especially of oligodendrocytes — the glial cells that produce myelin); neuroprotection; transplantation; and mechanisms of functional recovery after cervical spinal cord injury in both rodent and primate models.
 
Education, Training, and Previous Positions
 
1968: BA, Kent State University
1970: MA, Ohio State University
1973: PhD, Ohio State University
1973-1977: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Anatomy, Ohio State University
1977-1984: Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Ohio State University
1985-1991: Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, Ohio State University
1991-1999: Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Ohio State University
1999-2006: Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University
2001-2006: Associate Dean for Basic Research, College of Medicine, Ohio State University
2004-2006: Professor, Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University
2006-present: Professor Emeritus, Deptartment of Neuroscience, Ohio State University
2006-present: Adjunct Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, UCSF
 
Selected Professional Memberships and Appointments
 
Member, NSD-A Study Section, NINDS
Chair, NSD-A Study Section, NINDS
Scientific Advisory Council, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, now The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Scientific Advisory Board, Acorda Therapeutics, Hawthorne, NY
Scientific Advisory Board, International Neurotrauma Society
Member, COBRE Grant External Advisory Board, University of Louisville
California Primate Research Consortium
Member, Internal Advisory Board, Integrative Study of Brain Vascular Malformations, UCSF
Editorial Boards: Journal of Neurotrauma, Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
 
Contact
 
Jacqueline C. Bresnahan PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Brain and Spinal Injury Center
1001 Potrero Avenue, Bldg 1, Room 101
San Francisco, CA 94114
Phone: (415) 206-8319
E-mail: jacqueline.bresnahan@ucsf.edu
 
Selected Recent Publications
 
Miller BA, Crum JM, Tovar CA, Ferguson AR, Bresnahan JC, Beattie MS. Developmental stage of oligodendrocytes determines their response to activated microglia in vitro. J Neuroinflammation 2007;4(1):28 [E-pub ahead of print].
 
Nout YS, Bresnahan JC, Culp E, Tovar CA, Beattie MS, Schmidt MH. Novel technique for monitoring micturition and sexual function in male rats using telemetry. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2007;292(3):R1359-67.
 
Christensen RN, Ha BK, Sun F, Bresnahan JC, Beattie MS. Kainate induces rapid redistribution of the actin cytoskeleton in ameboid microglia. J Neurosci Res 2006;84(1):170-81.
 
Nout YS, Leedy GM, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC. Alterations in eliminative and sexual reflexes after spinal cord injury: defecatory function and development of spasticity in pelvic floor musculature [Review]. Prog Brain Res 2006;152:359-72.
 
Gensel JC, Tovar CA, Hamers FP, Deibert RJ, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC. Behavioral and histological characterization of unilateral cervical spinal cord contusion injury in rats. J Neurotrauma 2006;23(1):36-54.
 
Nout YS, Schmidt MH, Tovar CA, Culp E, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC. Telemetric monitoring of corpus spongiosum penis pressure in conscious rats for assessment of micturition and sexual function following spinal cord contusion injury. J Neurotrauma 2005;22(4):429-41.
 
Holmes GM, Van Meter MJ, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC. Serotonergic fiber sprouting to external anal sphincter motoneurons after spinal cord contusion. Exp Neurol 2005;193(1):29-42.
 
Miller BA, Sun F, Christensen RN, Ferguson AR, Bresnahan JC, Beattie MS. A sublethal dose of TNFalpha potentiates kainate-induced excitotoxicity in optic nerve oligodendrocytes. Neurochem Res 2005;30(6-7):867-75.
 
Ferguson AR, Hook MA, Garcia G, Bresnahan JC, Beattie MS, Grau JW. A simple post hoc transformation that improves the metric properties of the BBB scale for rats with moderate to severe spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 2004;21(11):1601-13.