Dr. Buckley was recently awarded an R01 from the NINDS to study the role of p38 MAPK signaling in neurons after repetitive mild traumatic brain injury. This multi-disciplenary work will be performed with co-PI Dr. Levi Wood (Georgia Tech, Mechanical Engineering). It is well known that repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (rmTBIs) can lead to long-term cognitive changes, neurodegeneration, and dementia. However, the mechanisms responsible for the long-term effects of repetitive mTBI are poorly understood and effective therapeutic strategies are lacking. This proposal will use a physiologically relevant mouse model of repetitive mTBI to determine if stress response in neurons is responsible for triggering neuroinflammation, loss of cognitive function, and reduction in brain blood flow.