Jeffrey J. Bazarian, M.D., M.P.H.

The goals of the Bazarian TBI lab are to develop neuroimaging and blood-based biomarkers of axonal injury after concussion and repetitive head hits, and to understand the pathophysiologic mechanisms of recovery. A translational research platform is used to accrue injured subjects through the Emergency Department at the University of Rochester Medical Center as well as contact athletes at the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology. Since 2009, over 700 collegiate athletes and over 100 non-athletes have been studied using a variety of biomarkers including diffusion tensor imaging, functional MRI, serum brain proteins (such as S100B, GFAP, UCH-L1 and tau), peripheral changes in mRNA expression, the epigenome and the metabolome; computerized cognitive performance, computerized platform posturography, computerized eye-tracking, quantitative EEG. We have integrated objective measures of head impact exposure using sensor technology to understand the relationship between impact biomechanics and brain injury. The strategic use of this comprehensive array of methodologies has shed light on the effects of single and repetitive head hits on brain structure and function, setting the stage for targeted interventions to prevent and mitigate TBI-related disability.