Olga Kokiko-Cochran

Dr. Olga Kokiko-Cochran's photo

Olga Kokiko-Cochran

Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience

Olga.Kokiko-cochran@osumc.edu

(614) 366-3642

257 Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research
460 Medical Center Drive
Columbus, OH 43210

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Areas of Expertise

  • Stress and Neuroimmunology
  • Neurotrauma, Neurological Disorders, and Gene/Clinical Therapy
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Education

  • PhD: Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Postdoctoral Training: Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute

Current Research Description

Inflammation following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a dynamic response of both the central and peripheral nervous systems, which is influenced by age, sex, injury location and severity. Because inflammation occurs after all brain injuries, I considers it an integral component of recovery. TBI is not an isolated event, and data indicate that pre- and post-injury immune challenges influence the response to TBI and chronic recovery. Additionally, evidence suggests that the brain’s stress response to an immune challenge is compromised following TBI. As a result, subsequent life stressors that further challenge the immune system alter long-tern recovery from TBI. We predict that post-injury sleep disruption is a significant and understudied stressor that largely influences outcome through inflammatory pathways. 

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