Jacqueline C. Bresnahan, PhD

In the News
Jacqueline Bresnahan named Science Advisory Council Chair for the Christopher Reeve Foundation. Click Here

Current Interests and Activities

Our laboratory is focused 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. The lab has developed a number of models to study cellular, systems and behavioral changes that occur as a consequence of injury. Areas of current interest 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 B.A. Psychology, Kent State University
• 1970 M.A. Psychology, The Ohio State University
• 1973 Ph.D. Psychology, The Ohio State University
• 1973-77 Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Anatomy, The Ohio State University
• 1977-84 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Anatomy, The Ohio State University.
• 1985-91 Associate Professor, Dept. of Anatomy, The Ohio State University
• 1991-1999 Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, The Ohio State University
• 1999-2006 Professor, Dept. of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University
• 2001-2006 Associate Dean for Basic Research, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University
• 2004-2006 Professor, Dept. of Psychology, The Ohio State University
• 2006-present  Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University
• 2006-present Professor, Dept. of Neurological Surgery, Brain and Spinal Injury Center, University of California, San Francisco

Selected  Professional Memberships and Appointments

• 1978, 1980, 1982-85, 1987, 1989 Scientific Advisory Consultant, NINDS, NIH
• 1983-1987 Member, Neurological Disorders Program Project Review A Committee, NIH
• 1985 Chairman, Site Visit Committee, NINDS, NIH
• 1985 Chairman, Special Study Section, NINDS, NIH
• 1991 Member, Special Review Panel, NIH
• 1982, 1991 Member, Technical Merit Review Panel, NINCDS, Bethesda, Md
• 1998–2002 Member, VA Merit Review Scientific Advisory Panel
• 2003–2008 Member, NSD-A Study Section, NINDS
• 2007-2008 Chair, NSD-A Study Section, NINDS
• 1994–1999 Scientific Advisory Council, American Paralysis Association
• 1999-present Scientific Advisory Council, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, now The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
• 2001 - 2006 Scientific Review Panel, Texas Institute for Rehabilitation Research
• 1997-present Scientific Advisory Board, Acorda Therapeutics, Hawthorne, NY
• 1993–present Scientific Advisory Board, International Neurotrauma Society
• 1998 President, and 1992-95, 1999-01 Councilor, Nat’l Neurotrauma Society
• 2001-2006 Member, Committee on Women in Neuroscience, Society for Neuroscience
• 2000 -2006 Member, PPG External Advisory Board, the University of Texas at Galveston
• 2001–present Member, COBRE Grant External Advisory Board, University of Louisville
• 2005-present  California Primate Research Consortium
• 2006-present  Member, Internal Advisory Board, Integrative Study of Brain Vascular  Malformations, UCSF
• 2003 Faculty Teaching Award, College of Medicine, OSU
• 2005 Neuroscience Teaching Award, Dept. of Neuroscience, OSU
• Editorial Board: Journal of Neurotrauma, Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience
• Guest Editorial Referee: Exp. Neurol., Brain Res., Science, J. Comp. Neurol., Neurosci., J. Neurosci., Neurosci. Lett.; Blood, Glia, J. Neurosci. Res., Nature Med.