Maria J. Crowe, Ph.D.

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Dr. Crowe received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1992. She was a post-doctoral fellow at Ohio State University from 1992-1995. She is also assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin and staff scientist at Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee.

Research Interests:

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotrauma. The general research interests of the Neurobiology Laboratory at the VA Medical Center are concerned with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. In particular, we are looking at changes in gene expression within the spinal cord and affected muscle tissues after traumatic injury. Using molecular biology techniques, we have shown that the expression of growth factors, such as neurotrophins, is altered not only after traumatic injury to the spinal cord, but also after certain kinds of rehabilitative exercises that are designed to promote the recovery of locomotion. Such changes in gene expression are observed not only in the spinal cord, but also in the muscles of the hindlimb that are commonly denervated after spinal cord injury.

Other areas of interest in the lab include the study of cellular death mechanisms after either spinal cord or traumatic brain injury; the effects of pulsed magnetic fields on neurite outgrowth in neuronal cell cultures; and the effects of pulsed magnetic fields on the recovery of locomotor function after a complete spinal cord injury.

In addition to the above studies, we are beginning a major new initiative in the development of a reliable model of diffuse axonal injury. Diffuse axonal injury is a form of traumatic brain injury whose appearance is related to the severity of the insult. It is present in milder forms of concussive syndromes as well as in cases resulting in prolonged traumatic comas. The development of a reliable model will allow the study of the degree of diffuse axonal injury observed versus the mechanical force of the injury sustained. It will also allow studies on the types of therapies that may prevent or reduce the amount of diffuse axonal injury that occurs after insult.

Selected Publications.

1. Crowe MJ, Brown TJ, Bresnahan JC and Beattie MS (1995) Distribution of NADPH-diaphorase reactivity in the spinal cord of metamorphosing and adult Xenopus Laevis. Dev Brain Res, 86:155-166.
2. Crowe MJ, Bresnahan JC, Shuman SL, Masters JN and Beattie MS (1997) Apoptosis and delayed degeneration after spinal cord injury in rats and monkeys. Nature Medicine, 3:73-76.
3. Crowe MJ, Hutchinson KA and Basso DM (1998) Neurotrophin and insulin-like growth factor mRNA expression in rat hindlimb muscles after spinal cord injury. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA #452.8.
4. Crowe MJ, McNeill RB, Schlemm DJ, Greenhalgh DG and Keller SJ (1999) Topical application of yeast extract accelerates wound healing in diabetic mice. J Burn Care Rehabil, 20:155-162.
5. Crowe MJ, Doetschman T and Greenhalgh, DG (2000) Delayed wound healing in immunodeficient TGF-beta1 knockout mice. J Invest Derm, 115:3-11.
6. Crowe MJ, Macias MY, Sun Z, Pintar FA, Battocletti JH and Maiman DJ (2000) Use of non-invasive pulsed magnetic fields after spinal cord injury in cats. J Neurotrauma, 17:988