Areas of Expertise
- Neurotrauma, Neurological Disorders and Gene/Clinical Therapies
- Stress and Neuroimmunology
Education
- PhD: Boston University
- Postdoctoral Training: Harvard Medical School
Dr. Townsend's Lab Website
Current Research Description
The Townsend Lab for Neurobiology and Energy Balance has 3 main research foci:
- How the brain communicates with adipose tissues (white and brown depots) in the maintenance of energy balance, mainly via peripheral (sensory and sympathetic) nerves
- How the adult brain, mainly the energy balance center in the hypothalamus as well as other ventricular niches, undergo plasticity (including regulation of adult brain stem cells)
- How the peripheral nervous system undergoes plasticity, or becomes damaged in conditions of peripheral neuropathy (such as with aging, obesity, diabetes); the role of neuroimmune interactions in these processes