Violeta Contreras Ramirez, B.S., M.S.

I am interested in understanding the neural circuits that mediate motor recovery after stroke and spinal cord injury. I am currently involved in two projects. I am using behavioral techniques to test the efficacy of viral inactivations in rats. The viral system we employ (DREADD: Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) can specifically and reversibly inactivate a chosen neural circuit. By inactivating different circuits in rat lesion models, we will have a better understanding of which circuits to target during treatment: those necessary for spontaneous recovery. The other project I am involved in uses photothrombosis to cause a discrete lesion in the forelimb region of the internal capsule. In addition to providing a subcortical stroke model, this project will allow us to investigate the plasticity of the hindlimb region of the internal capsule and its role in motor recovery.