Steven Threlkeld head shot

Associate Professor

Department Neuroscience

Mailing Address

Regis College

235 Wellesley Street
Weston, MA 02493

    About

    Before to joining Regis College as the Neuroscience Program Director in 2016, Dr. Threlkeld was an Associate Professor at Rhode Island College and coordinator for the Behavioral Neuroscience program. Prior to that he was Research Associate in Pediatrics in the Perinatal Brain Research Laboratory at Women and Infants Hospital and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he studied blood brain barrier dysfunction associated with neonatal brain injury. He was also a teaching assistant at the University of Connecticut and has served as an adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Women and Infants Hospital in collaboration on NIH funded projects. In addition, Dr. Threlkeld currently serves as a co-investigator and Adjunct Associate professor in collaboration with the Neurotrauma and Brain Barriers lab in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rohde Island Hospital, in Providence, RI. Dr. Threlkeld has a long history engaging undergraduate students in high impact NIH funded Neuroscience research. He is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience.

    Education

    Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Connecticut, 2008

    Master of Arts in Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Connecticut, 2006

    Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of Portland, 2003

    Philosophy

    Dr. Threlkeld’s research centers on understanding the anatomical and behavioral consequences of disrupted forebrain development resulting from injury or teratogenic events and how early behavioral experience or pharmacological intervention can improve outcome and promote neuronal plasticity. Current projects involving undergraduate students at Regis include investigations into the role of inflammation in pathogenesis of neonatal hypoxia/ischemia, behavioral outcome and behavioral and pharmacological intervention strategies. A second line of work is focused on the consequences of mild traumatic brain injury and anti-inflammatory treatment approaches on learning, auditory sensory processing and neuroanatomical outcomes in rodent models.

    Awards Honors

    Neonatal brain injury: Mediating factors for improved neurobehavioral outcome. NIH 2R15HD077544, from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. $275,000 (three year total costs). 2018-2021
    Principle Investigator: Threlkeld

    Neuroprotection in TBI with a new multifunctional peptide-based therapeutic. NIH RO1, Form the National Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Stroke. 130,350.00 (five year total costs). 2017-2021
    Co PIs: Marshall (Brown University) and Chodobski (Rhode Island Hospital)
    Co-Investigator (Sub-award Regis College): Threlkeld

    Neonatal brain injury: Mediating factors for improved neurobehavioral outcome. NIH R15HD077544, from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. $329,762 (three year total costs). 2013-2017
    Principle Investigator: Threlkeld

    Anti-inflammatory intervention and neurobehavioral outcome in neonatal ischemia. RI-INBRE Award # P20RR016457-11 from the NIH, National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). $267,690 (two year total costs). 2011-2013
    Principle Investigator: Threlkeld

    Disdier C., Chen X., Kim JE., Threlkeld SW., Stonestreet BS. (2018). Anti-cytokine therapy to attenuate ischemic-reperfusion associated with brain injury in the perinatal period. Brain Science 8(6). E101. doi: 10.3390/brainsci8060101.

    Marshall J., Szmydynger-Chodobska J., Bioult-Pedotti M.S., Lau K., Chin AT., Kotla SKR., Tiwari RK., Parang K., Threlkeld SW., Chodobski A. (2017). TrkB-enhancer facilitates functional recovery after traumatic brain injury. Science Report 7(1):10995. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11316-8.

    Threlkeld S.W., Lim Y.P., La Rue M., Gaudet C., Stonestreet B.S. (2017). Immuno-modulator inter-alpha inhibitor proteins ameliorate complex auditory processing deficits in rats with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Brain, Behavior and Immunity [Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.03.004.

    Gaudet C.M*., Lim Y.P., Stonestreet B.S., Threlkeld S.W. (2016). Effects of Age, Experience and Inter-alpha Inhibitor Proteins on Working Memory and Neuronal Plasticity after Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia. Behavioral Brain Research 302: 88-99.

    Threlkeld S.W., Gaudet C.M*., LaRue M.E*., Dugas E*., Hill C.A., Lim Y.P., Stonestreet B.S. (2014). Effects of inter-alpha inhibitor proteins on neonatal brain injury: age, task and treatment dependent neurobehavioral outcomes. Experimental Neurology, 261C:424-433.

    Penley S.C., Gaudet C.M*., Threlkeld S.W. (2013). Use of an eight-arm radial water maze to assess working and reference memory following neonatal brain injury. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 82:50940.

    Threlkeld S.W., Hill C.A., Szalkowski C.E., Truong D.T., Rosen G.D., Fitch R.H. (2012). Effects of test experience and neocortical microgyria on spatial and non-spatial learning in rats. Behavioral Brain Research. 235(2): 135-5.

    Threlkeld S.W., Lynch J.L., Lynch K.M., Sadowska G., Stonstreet B.S., Banks W.A., (2010). Ovine pro-inflammatory cytokines cross the murine blood brain barrier by a common saturable transport mechanism. Neuroimmunomodulation, 17(6):405-410.

    Threlkeld, S.W., Hill, C.A., Cleary, C., Troung, D., Rosen, G.D., Fitch, R.H., (2009). Developmental learning impairments in a rodent model of nodular heterotopia. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders 1(3): 237-250.

    Threlkeld, S.W., Hill, C.A., Rosen, G.D., Fitch, R.H., (2009). Early acoustic discrimination experience ameliorates auditory processing deficits in male rats with cortical developmental disruption. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 27(4), 321-328.

    Threlkeld, S.W., Penley, S.C., Rosen, G.D., Fitch, R.H., (2008). Detection of silent gaps in white noise following cortical deactivation in rats. Neuroreport, 19 (8): 893-8.

    Threlkeld, S.W., McClure, M. M., Bai, J., Wang, Y., LoTurco, J.J., Rosen, G.D., and Fitch, R. H., (2007). Developmental Disruptions and Behavioral Impairments in Rats Following In Utero RNAi of Dyx1c1. Brain Research Bulletin, 71(5): 508-14.