Closing out the academic year 2025-26 with our lab group photo. Grateful for the progress, collaboration, the occasional cooperative dataset, and these amazing students.
Dr. Amy L. Brewster, PhD
@amylbrewster.bsky.social
Scientist (epilepsy research) and educator. When I’m not in the lab or classroom, I’m out on the trails with my golden sidekick, Beto, researching new adventures.
Our new publication finds that the severity of status epilepticus maps onto distinct hippocampal proteomic changes. Severe seizures caused broad molecular disruptions, while even mild seizures triggered changes that may be linked to epileptogenesis. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41974393/
Severity-dependent proteomic alterations in the rat hippocampus following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus - PubMed
Status epilepticus (SE) is a prolonged seizure state that can induce lasting hippocampal damage and promote the development of spontaneous seizures and cognitive deficits. The severity and duration of...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
New paper came out from the lab! We explored the function of reactive microglia following an epilepsy-inducing CNS viral infection in the cortex and found some intriguing regional differences. Also, hey @sfn.org, how about you provide a link to Bluesky instead of X? www.eneuro.org/content/13/2...
Investigating the Role of Cortical Microglia in a Mouse Model of Viral Infection-Induced Seizures
Microglia, resident immune sentinels in the brain, are crucial in responding to tissue damage, infection, damage signals like purines (ATP/ADP), and clearing cellular debris. It is currently unknown h...
eneuro.org
Just spoke to The Hill about how the dismantling of the NIH is impacting science in America. We still face a cliff of unfathomable heights, w easily 1000+ labs poised to close in the next year due to funding ending. A generation of young scientists lost because there is nowhere for them to train.
We finally have a lab logo (BioRender)! Woohoo! And while we were at it, we gave our lab website a fresh new look too. Come check out our glow-up!: www.brewsterlab.com/
Home | Mysite
brewsterlab.com
More and more evidence suggests that males and females may use different brain mechanisms to drive and/or maintain epileptic networks. So why are we still doing most discovery and mechanistic studies in males? It's time to rethink. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Sex-specific proteomic analysis of epileptic brain tissues from Pten knockout mice and human refractory epilepsy
Epilepsy presents significant sex-based disparities in prevalence and manifestation. Epidemiological studies reveal that epilepsy is more prevalent in…
sciencedirect.com
You can see how the Trump strategy is working: less NIH money is going out the door, not because there are not worthy projects, but they are blocking spending. Could be $20 billion unspent, which GOP will present as a "savings" (h/t @jeremymberg.bsky.social) donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nih-bu...
New preprint from our lab! "Sex-specific proteomic analysis of epileptic brain tissues from Pten knockout mice & human RE" Read here: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Sex-specific proteomic analysis of epileptic brain tissues from Pten knockout mice and human refractory epilepsy
Rationale: Epilepsy presents significant sex-based disparities in prevalence and manifestation. Epidemiological studies reveal that epilepsy is more prevalent in males, with lesional types being more ...
biorxiv.org
Just found out NIH has officially canceled our grant, a longitudinal study of Alzheimer's disease in Black Americans. I cannot even put into words how angry I am. The truth is they are canceling it because it has Black in the title. That's it, there is no other reason to do this.
If you, or someone you know, was a part of the first group of federal employees that were unlawfully fired by the Trump administration - your deadline to appeal to the MSPB is this Friday, March 14. Go to civilservicestrong.org to learn more. #CivilServiceStrong
Democracy Forward@democracyforward.org · 2y agoThis Friday, March 14, marks 30 days since Trump’s unlawful mass firing of federal workers began—and the last day for many to appeal to MSPB. Democracy Forward is fighting back to protect our workforce. Resources + appeal guide: civilservicestrong.org. #CivilServiceStrong
New research suggests mice may exhibit revival-like behaviors to help unconscious mice recover faster.
Lab mice may give 'first aid' to unconscious mates
New research suggests mice may exhibit revival-like behaviors to help unconscious mice recover faster.
npr.org
Bob, a hardworking federal employee, just got fired. Why? Budget cuts. "Sorry, Bob," HR says. "Air Force One fuel isn’t cheap, and the President’s got places to be." And just like that, Bob is out while Air Force One takes joyrides funded by the working class… from the unemployment line.
We found decreased complement levels and sex dimorphism in complement regulation and cytokines in the serum of patients with epilepsy. (The descriptions of Figures 3 and 4 were swapped by some unprofessional folks at Scientific Reports) www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Drug-resistant epilepsy associated with peripheral complement decreases and sex-specific cytokine imbalances: a pilot study - Scientific Reports
Scientific Reports - Drug-resistant epilepsy associated with peripheral complement decreases and sex-specific cytokine imbalances: a pilot study
nature.com
for pity’s sake, I am BEGGING university leaders to stop framing this issue in terms of what this will cost the university. people dont care! EXPLAIN WHAT THIS WILL COST THE PUBLIC: closed hospitals and clinics, skipped treatments, loss of access to experimental drugs, unemployment, recession
In honor of Black History Month, we want to highlight a few of the outstanding Black neuroscientists we have interviewed! Now, more than ever, it is critical to strive for and celebrate DEI efforts in research & education—science is stronger when all voices are heard 💜 #BlackHistoryMonth
Joshua Tree National Park is a real survival story where the trees look like they're having an existential crisis, and the park rangers tell you not to "die hiking." I recommend 100%!
Enjoy! www.cell.com/trends/molec...
Bursts of brain erosion: seizures and age-dependent neurological vulnerability
Hypersynchronous and exaggerated neuronal firing, exemplified by epileptiform activity and seizures, are disruptors of brain function across acute and chronic neuropathological conditions. Here, we focus on how seizure activity, whether as a primary symptom or a secondary comorbid event within a complex pathological setting, adversely impacts neurological trajectories. We discuss experimental and clinical evidence illustrating the participation of neurodegenerative and senescence-like adaptations. Paroxysmal neuronal events, through bidirectional causality, are linked with immune and microvascular changes, disrupting cellular homeostasis and creating a feed-forward loop that intertwines with age-related frailty to deteriorate mental health. We emphasize the clinical significance of early detection of these brain vulnerabilities through biomarkers, monitoring neurodevelopmental risks in children, and tracking neurodegenerative disease progression in aging populations.
cell.com
Neuroscience is exploding on Bluesky! Make sure to follow some Women In Neuroscience here :) go.bsky.app/SCFmKoC
The Transmitter @thetransmitter.bsky.social · 2y agoNeuroscience-related posts on Bluesky surged last week following an influx of users—including many neuroscientists. Chart by @callimcflurry.bsky.social.
