Regina Armstrong

Regina Armstrong is Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics at the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). She holds secondary appointments in Neuroscience and Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Programs, and has served as Director of the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM) from 2008-2017 before becoming Department Chair in 2020.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Neurobiology from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (1987)
• B.S. in Neurosciences from University of Rochester (1982)

Dr. Armstrong's research focuses on mechanisms of damage and repair in the brain and spinal cord, with particular emphasis on traumatic brain injury and multiple sclerosis. Her laboratory investigates cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuroregeneration, using approaches spanning developmental studies to examining repair after disease or injury. She has extensive expertise in white matter injury in multiple sclerosis models and repetitive closed head injury models of mild traumatic brain injury.

Her research team employs diverse methodologies including genetic mouse models, neural stem cell culture, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and behavioral assessments. The team's philosophy integrates data from multiple independent techniques to achieve deeper understanding and improved translational potential. Their work incorporates analysis of human neuropathological specimens to validate animal model findings.

Analysis of Dr. Armstrong's recent publications reveals a strong focus on white matter pathology following traumatic brain injury, with particular attention to axonal damage, demyelination, and potential therapeutic interventions. Her work spans basic molecular mechanisms to translational applications, with increasing emphasis on specific signaling pathways like Sonic hedgehog in neural repair processes. There is growing interest in sex differences and chronic effects of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury in her recent work.

Dr. Armstrong has received numerous scientific awards:

• Dean's Faculty Impact Award for Outstanding leadership of CNRM (2017)
• Prince Mahidol Scholar Fellowship Mentor (2011-2012)
• Outstanding Biomedical Graduate Educator, USU (2002)
• John Brinton Hill Award from American Registry of Pathologists (2000)

Dr. Armstrong teaches in the first-year medical student nervous system module and graduate courses. Her research has been funded through peer-reviewed awards from NIH, National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, and Department of Defense. She established the CNRM as a collaborative program between USU, NIH, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, focusing on pre-clinical through clinical research to promote recovery from traumatic brain injury and improve service members' psychological health.

The CNRM under Dr. Armstrong's leadership emphasizes translational research with practical applications for military medicine. Her laboratory work utilizes collaborations to include analysis of human neuropathological specimens, enhancing the clinical relevance of her research on neural repair mechanisms following traumatic injury.