Neuroscience First Year Presentation: Ivelize Freire

About this event

Please join us

Tuesday, December 1, 2026

4:00pm – 4:30pm CST

NSERL 3.204

for a First Year Presentation by

Ivelize Freire

University of Texas at Dallas

Investigating Vagus nerve stimulation as a neuro-immune

therapy for enhancing nerve regeneration

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) refers to damage to nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, disrupting axonal communication and triggering a series of degenerative and regenerative processes, including Wallerian degeneration (WD). Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can activate the inflammatory reflex, potentially modulating the inflammatory response following PNI. We hypothesized that initiating VNS three days post-injury, during a period of substantial macrophage infiltration, would modulate neuroinflammation, promote nerve regeneration, and improve sensorimotor outcomes. Our findings suggest that early VNS may alter the neuroinflammatory environment following PNI, as evidenced by significant differences in CD163+ macrophage abundance across nerve regions. These changes may be associated with altered sensory recovery but not motor recovery.

Microsoft Teams meeting

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