Rodent Models and Surgical Techniques
- Stereotaxic surgery in rat (brain cannulations, drug microinjections and lesions)
- Brain dissections in rat (hippocampus, hypothalamus, cortex, cerebellum, pituitary, nucleus tractus solitarius/area postrema, ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, etc)
- Adrenalectomy and ovariectomy in rat
- Cecal ligation and puncture (animal model of infection)
- Thermister implantation and core body temperature measurement
- Basic histology, light microscopy and image analysis (NIH Image, Un-scan-it, Imagegauge)
- Behavioral models: social play/interaction testing, conditioned fear, escape behavior, elevated plus maze, forced swim test
- Developed two distinct models of subcutaneous inflammation/infection to study wound healing
Biochemical and Molecular assays
- Competitive binding assay for corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG)
- Receptor binding assay for corticosteroid receptors (MR & GR)
- Scatchard analysis
- Bradford & Lowry protein assays
- Seromucoid protein assay (a1-acid glycoprotein)
- Radioimmunoassays for corticosterone, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and testosterone
- Western blotting (glucocorticoid receptors, mineralocorticoid receptors, CRH receptors, IL-1, pro-IL-1, CD45, CD14, MHCII, opioid ligands and their receptors, etc.)
- Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs; IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, BDNF, etc.)
- Bacterial culture (Escherichia coli & Streptococcus mutans)
- Reverse Transcription - Polymerized Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) – in real time and classic version where PCR product is resolved by gel electrophoresis; includes all steps leading up to RT-PCR as well (RNA extraction & purification, RNA quantification, first strand synthesis, etc.)
- In situ hybridization