College of Arts and Sciences

Education:

• MS, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University Joseph Fourier, France
• PhD, Biology, University Joseph Fourier, France
• Postdoc, Molecular Parasitology, University of Central Florida
• Postdoc, Neuroscience, University of Miami, Florida

Research Interests:

The role of TNF in neuroinflammation following spinal cord injury. Two forms of TNF exist, a soluble form and a transmembrane form which bind preferentially TNFR1 and TNFR2, respectively. Soluble TNF is believed to be proinflammatory causing demyelination and neurodegeneration while transmembrane TNF signaling is neuroprotective and promote remyelination. We are using both in vitro and in vivo approaches to understand how TNFR2 signaling in glial cells promotes remyelination.

We are also interested in the peripheral consequences of spinal cord injury on the immune system and metabolism.

Selected Publications:

• Bernardes D, Brambilla R, Bracchi-Ricard V. Karmally S, Dellarole A, Carvalho-Tavares J, Bethea JR. (2015) "Prior regular exercise improves clinical outcome and reduces demyelination and axonal injury in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ." J Neuroinflammation
• Novrup HG, Bracchi-Ricard V*. Ellman DG, Ricard J, Jain A, Runko E, Lyck L, Ylu-Karjanmaa M, Szymkowski DE, Pearse DD, Lambertsen KL, Bethea JR. (2014) "Central but not systemic administration of XPro1595 is therapeutic following moderate spinal cord injury in mice ." J Neuroinflammation 11(1): 159 *co-first author
• Zha J., Smith A., Andreansky S., Bracchi-Ricard V*. Bethea JR. (2014) "Chronic thoracic spinal cord injury impairs CD8+T-cell function by up-regulating programmed cell death-1 expression ." J Neuroinflammation 11: 65 *co-senior corresponding author
• Johnstone JT, Morton PD, Jayakumar AR, Johnstone AL, Gao H, Bracchi-Ricard V, Pearse DD, Norenberg MD and Bethea JR. (2013) "Inhibition of NADPH oxidase activation in oligodendrocytes reduces cytotoxicity following trauma" PLoS One 8(11): e80975.
• Bigford, G. E., V. C. Bracchi-Ricard, et al. (2013). "Neuroendocrine and cardiac metabolic dysfunction and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in adipose tissue and pancreas following chronic spinal cord injury in the mouse." ASN Neuro 5(4).
• Bracchi-Ricard, V., Lambertsen K. L., et al. (2013). "Inhibition of astroglial NF-kappaB enhances oligodendrogenesis following spinal cord injury." J Neuroinflammation 10(1): 92.
• Johnstone, J. T., Morton P. D., Jayakumar AR, Bracchi-Ricard V et al. (2013). "Reduced extracellular zinc levels facilitate glutamate-mediated oligodendrocyte death after trauma." J Neurosci Res 91(6): 828-37.
• Bigford, G. E., V. C. Bracchi-Ricard, et al. (2012). "Alterations in mouse hypothalamic adipokine gene expression and leptin signaling following chronic spinal cord injury and with advanced age." PLoS One 7(7): e41073.
• Zhang, Y., Liu J., Yao S, Li F, Xin L, Lai M, Bracchi-Ricard V et al. (2012). "Nuclear factor kappa B signaling initiates early differentiation of neural stem cells." Stem Cells 30(3): 510-24. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16320244