Sex Differences in Ischemic Stroke and the Impact of Menopause

Seminar Title: Sex Differences in Ischemic Stroke and the Impact of Menopause

Presenter: Dr. Farida Sohrabji, Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics

Dr. Sohrabji’s research program focuses on brain-immune interactions regulated by estrogen and its implications for neuro-inflammatory diseases such as stroke in women. Additionally, she is also interested in estrogen’s interactions with other endogenous and environmental endocrine mediators, including Vitamin D hormone and the peptide hormone Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-1. Her current studies use an animal model to examine age and sex differences in recovery from stroke, focusing at the cellular level on the endothelium and astrocytes, which are the principal components of the blood brain barrier. At the molecular level, her team is examining sex and age differences in miRNA and epigenetic markers, with a view to developing biomarkers for diseases and uncovering new therapeutic targets.