Rutgers University-New Brunswick · BiologyFirestein Lab
Bonnie L Firestein · New Brunswick, New Jersey
Research Focus
Dr. Bonnie L. Firestein's lab at Rutgers focuses on understanding how the brain recovers from mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), like concussions. They investigate how specific proteins and metabolic processes can help protect brain function and promote recovery. The lab looks for new ways to treat and potentially reduce the long-lasting effects of these injuries on individuals' cognitive abilities and overall brain health.
mild traumatic brain injuryTBIneuroprotectioncognitionmethioninecypinpost-concussion syndrometherapeuticsbrain recovery
Research Aims
5AIM 01Identify molecular mechanisms that aid recovery after mild TBI.
AIM 02Investigate the role of cypin in neuroprotection and cognition.
AIM 03Explore how methionine metabolism is affected by brain injuries.
AIM 04Develop potential therapeutics targeting recovery processes.
AIM 05Assess the long-term impacts of targeted treatments on cognitive function.
Skills the Lab Values
rodent modelscell culturebiochemical assaysmolecular cloningimmunohistochemistryWestern blottinghigh-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)data analysis with PythonRNA extractionprotein assays
Output against the department
Publications145top 47% of dept.484th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.7ktop 48% of dept.498th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.