Visualizing traumatic brain injury in vivo

Recent advances in imaging technology have made it possible to visualize neuroimmune communication in the living brain. We have recently begun to unravel the mechanisms underlying innate immune cell dynamics in the brain and meninges during states of health and disease. This lecture will focus on how CNS resident myeloid cells coordinate with peripherally-derived myelomonocytic cells to clear dead cells and rebuild damaged blood vessels following traumatic brain injury (TBI). A special emphasis will be placed on the use of intravital two-photon laser scanning microscopy to study how the brain responds in real-time to TBI.