معرفی
Ken Soderstrom is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University. His research utilizes zebra finches to investigate persistent neural and behavioral effects of CNS-active drugs during developmental critical periods and trauma recovery.
Dr. Soderstrom's work centers on how drug exposures during sensitive developmental windows alter learning- and memory-related neural circuitry, leading to long-term behavioral impairments. His laboratory employs songbirds—which naturally develop complex vocalizations during a critical period—to study cannabinoid impacts on sensorimotor skill acquisition and recovery from neural damage. This research has direct relevance to human conditions including learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury, neuroinflammation, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Analysis of his recent publications reveals a dominant focus on cannabinoid pharmacology, particularly contrasting effects of THC versus CBD on neuroinflammation, synaptic integrity, and vocal motor recovery. His work demonstrates how developmental cannabinoid exposure persistently modifies neural structure (dendritic spines, gene expression) and function (reward processing, vocal learning), while identifying CBD's therapeutic potential for neural repair.
Dr. Soderstrom mentors graduate student Mark Tripson and collaborates with Research Specialist Saina Gao. His laboratory investigates mechanisms of neural plasticity and pharmacological interventions to mitigate developmental drug impacts and promote post-injury recovery, with implications for neuroprotective strategies in clinical contexts.
