Sullivan, Kelly D PHD

INCLUDE Grants​

Defining the Role of Enteric Nervous System Dysfunction in Gastrointestinal Motor and Sensory Abnormalities in Down Syndrome

Belkind Gerson, JaimeFrank, Daniel NSullivan, Kelly D

Individuals with Down syndrome are predisposed to a wide range of co-occurring conditions, including many gastrointestinal conditions. This proposal will test the hypothesis that innate alterations in inflammation, metabolism, and the microbiome result in enteric nervous system dysfunction that drives these conditions. Insights from these studies could not only increase our understanding of gastrointestinal disease in Down syndrome, but also identify new therapeutic strategies for their management.

Neurovascular unit dysfunction in Down syndrome revealed by TBI

Huang, MingxiaPotter, HuntingtonSullivan, Kelly D

Many of the neurological conditions that co-occur in people with Down syndrome (DS) arise from brain cell alterations that are subtle and progressive in nature, making their categorical detection a challenge for researchers and clinicians. We postulate that the DS brain is predisposed to traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced acute and long-term disabilities based on our findings that a mouse model of DS is hypersensitive to a single mild TBI and exhibits long-term impairment. This transformative research project aims to use mild TBI as a sensitizing probe to visualize the subtle and hard-to-detect DS-associated cellular and molecular alterations with the overarching goal of discovering new therapeutic strategies for people with DS.

Down Syndrome Publications​