Courtney DeVries, PhD

Research Interests

Dr. DeVries' lab has been at the forefront of characterizing the effects of social isolation on health outcomes ranging from stroke to cancer. This work has identified physiological mechanisms underpinning the role of social isolation in animal models that may be targeted to improve outcomes in people recovering from health challenges. Currently, Dr. DeVries is directing multiple NIH and several foundation-funded projects. Much of her recent work focuses on so-called “chemo-brain”, the role of chemotherapy drugs on post-treatment memory, mood, and sleep.

Research topics

• Mechanisms influencing post-chemotherapy quality of life
• Neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying social behavior and stress
• Behavioral pharmacology
• Mechanisms of neuroplasticity following neuronal injury and cerebral ischemia
• Pain

Publications

Norman GJ, Karelina K, Berntson GG, Morris JS, Zhang N, DeVries AC. 2012. Heart rate variability predicts cell death and inflammatory responses to global cerebral ischemia. Frontiers in Physiology, 3:131.

Stuller, K.A., Jarrett, B., & DeVries A.C.2012. Stress and social isolation increase vulnerability to stroke. Experimental Neurology, 233(1):33-9.

Karelina K, Hansen KF, Choi YS, DeVries AC, Arthur JS, & Obrietan K. 2012. MSKI regulates environmental enrichment-induced hippocampal plasticity and cognitive enhancement. Learning and Memory, 19:550-60.

Wardwell KK, Focht BC, DeVries AC, O'Connell AA & Buckworth J. 2013. Affective responses to self-selected and imposed waling in inactive women with high stress: a pilot study. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 53:701-712.

Borniger JC, Gaudier-Diaz MM, Zhang N, Nelson RJ, & DeVries AC. 2015. Cytotoxic Cytotoxic chemotherapy increases sleep and sleep fragmentation in non-tumorbearing mice. Brain Behavior Immunity, 47: 218-227.

Hinzey A, Gaudier-Diaz MM, Lustberg MB & DeVries AC. 2016. Breast cancer and social environment: getting by with a little help from our friends. Breast Cancer Research, 18(1): 54.

Gaudier-Diaz MM, Walker WH & DeVries AC. 2016. The psychoneuroimmunology of cerebral ischemia. Primer of PsychoNeuroImmunology Research (Opp MR, Editor). Los Angeles, CA: PsychoNeuroImmunology Research Society.

Himmel LE, Lustberg MB, DeVries AC, Poi M, Chen CS, & Kulp SK. 2016. Minocycline, a putative neuroprotectant, co-administered with doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide chemotherapy in a xenograft model of triple-negative breast cancer. Experimental Toxicology and Pathology, 68(9):505-515.

Orchard TS, Gaudier-Diaz MM, Weinhold KR, & DeVries AC. 2017. Clearing the fog: a review of the effects of dietary omega-3 fatty acids and added sugars on chemotherapy-induced cognitive deficits. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment,

Borniger JC, Walker Ii WH, Gaudier-Diaz MM, Stegman CJ, Zhang N, Hollyfield JL, Nelson RJ & DeVries AC. 2017. Time-of-day dictates transcriptional inflammatory responses to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Scientific Reports, 7:41220. doi: 10.10 ep41220.

Walker Il WH, Borniger JC, Surbhi, Zalenski AA, Muscarella SL, Fitzgerald J, Zhang N, Gaudier-Diaz MM & DeVries AC. 2017. Mammary tumors induce neuroinflammation but not behavioral deficits in Balb/C Mice. Scientific Reports, manuscript in press.

Gaudier-Diaz MM, Zhang N, Haines AH, Surbhi, Zhou M & DeVries AC. 2017. Social interaction modulates the neuroinflammatory response to global cerebral ischemia in male mice. Brain Research, manuscript in press.

Borniger JC, Hinzey A, Zhang N, Cissè Y-M, Walker 11 WH, Gaudier-Diaz MM, Magalang UJ, Lustberg MB, Nelson RJ, & DeVries AC. 2017. Peripheral tumors disrupt normal sleep/wake states in mice. Manuscript under revision.

Gaudier-Diaz MM, Zhang N, Haines AH & DeVries AC. 2017. Social influences on microglial reactivity and outcome to cardiac arrest/ cardiopulmonary resuscitation: sexual dimorphisms. Manuscript under review.

Nelson RJ, & DeVries AC. 2017. Light at night in hospitals- should we be concerned? Manuscript under review.