James Barrett

James Barrett, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research focuses on neuroinflammation, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and immune responses in neurological disorders.

• Education: BA in Natural Science (Physiology) from Trinity College Dublin (2010); PhD in Neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin (2014).
• Training: Research Fellow (2014–2017) and Postdoctoral Fellow (2017–2019) at the Shock, Trauma, and Anesthesiology Research Center.

Dr. Barrett’s research explores how aging, metabolic factors, and immune mechanisms influence neuroinflammatory responses post-TBI. He investigates:

• Type I interferon signaling in chronic neuroinflammation
• Epigenetic regulation via miRNAs in irradiation-induced neurodegeneration
• Microglial/macrophage polarization dynamics
• Exercise interventions and molecular pathways in TBI recovery

His recent work highlights the role of systemic inflammation in exacerbating TBI outcomes and the therapeutic potential of HDAC inhibitors like romidepsin. Collaborations with institutions such as Trinity College Dublin and the University of Maryland underscore his interdisciplinary focus. Dr. Barrett’s lab also examines bidirectional brain-systemic interactions, leveraging single-nucleus transcriptomics and epigenomics to identify age-related vulnerabilities in TBI models.