Andrew Gaudet

Interests

Neuroinflammation; biological clocks; metabolism; axon plasticity; behavior; spinal cord injury

Biography

UPDATE: The Gaudet Lab is recruiting a graduate student for Fall 2021!
Learn and collaborate with us in sunny Austin.

I completed my Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia, where I studied peripheral nerve degeneration, regeneration, and repair.  My postdoctoral research focused on cellular dynamics and functional outcomes after spinal cord injury (SCI): I studied neuroinflammation and locomotor recovery (Ohio State), and neuropathic pain and biological clocks/circadian rhythms (University of Colorado Boulder).

The Gaudet lab aims to reveal links between molecular, cellular, and behavioral changes elicited during neuropathology. We have several research interests:

1. Neuroinflammation. SCI causes massive neuroinflammation, which can worsen pathology ("secondary damage"). We seek to better understand the post-SCI cascades that drive inflammation, and to shift the inflammatory response to better preserve/repair tissue and improve behavioral outcomes. 

2. Biological clocks and metabolism. Our work has shown that SCI can broadly disrupt function across peripheral organs. SCI disrupts molecular rhythms (e.g., in spinal cord, liver, and blood) that occur in parallel with altered diurnal rhythms in behavior. Ongoing work seeks to understand related mechanisms and potential treatments that boost circadian and metabolic recovery after spinal cord injury.

3. Axon plasticity and regeneration. After SCI, central nervous system axons fail to regenerate. This is due to a poor neuron-intrinsic growth response, and ineffective neuroinflammatory and glial dynamics. Improving post-SCI plasticity of these axons could enhance recovery of function.

4. Developing new models to understand anxiety- and pain-related behavioral preferences. What is the relative salience of sensory discomfort versus anxiety? How is the anxiety-pain preference influenced by sex or SCI? We have created a new thermal preference protocol to untangle the complicated relationship between anxiety- and pain-like symptoms.

Courses

Publications

Gaudet AD, Fonken LK, Ayala MT, Bateman EM, Schleicher WE, Smith EJ, D’Angelo HM, Maier SF, Watkins LR. Spinal cord injury in rats disrupts the circadian system. eNeuro. 2018;0328-18.2018. Article

Gaudet AD, Fonken LK, Ayala MT, D’Angelo HM, Smith EJ, Bateman EM, Schleicher WE, Maier SF, Watkins LR. Spinal cord injury in rats dysregulates diurnal rhythms of fecal output and liver metabolic indicators. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2019. Article

Fonken LK, Frank MG, Gaudet AD, Maier SF. Stress and aging act through common mechanisms to elicit neuroinflammatory priming. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2018;pii:S0889-1591(18)30334-9. Pubmed | .pdf

Gaudet AD, Fonken LK. Glial cells shape pathology and repair after spinal cord injury. Neurotherapeutics. 2018. Pubmed | .pdf

Fonken LK, Frank MG, Gaudet AD, D’Angelo HM, Daut RA, Hampson EC, Ayala MT, Watkins LR, Maier SF. Neuroinflammatory priming to stress is differentially regulated in male and female rats. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2018;pii:S0889-1591(18)30049-7. Pubmed | .pdf

Bateman EM, Schleicher WE, Smith EJ, Sweet DR, Gaudet AD. Journal Club: MRI reveals acute inflammation in cortical lesions during early MS. Neurology. 2018;90:e724-726. Pubmed | .pdf

Gaudet AD, Fonken LK, Watkins LR, Nelson RJ, Popovich PG. microRNAs: Roles in regulating neuroinflammation. Neuroscientist. 2017:1073858417721150. Pubmed  | .pdf

Gaudet AD, Ayala MT, Schleicher WE, Smith EJ, Bateman EM, Maier SF, Watkins LR. Exploring acute-to-chronic neuropathic pain in rats after contusion spinal cord injury. Experimental Neurology. 2017;295:46-54. Pubmed | .pdf

Grace PM, Gaudet AD, Staikopoulos V, Maier SF, Hutchinson MR, Salvemini D, Watkins LR. Nitroxidative signaling mechanisms in pathological pain. Trends in Neuroscience.2016;39(12):862-879. Pubmed | .pdf

Fonken LK, Kitt MM, Gaudet AD, Barrientos RM, Watkins LR, Maier SF. Diminished circadian rhythms in microglia may contribute to age-related neuroinflammatory sensitization. Neurobiology of Aging. 2016;47:102-112. Pubmed | .pdf

Gaudet AD, Mandrekar-Colucci S, Hall JCE, Sweet DR, Schmitt PJ, Xu X, Guan Z, Mo X, Guerau-de-Arellano M, Popovich PG. miR-155 deletion in mice overcomes neuron-intrinsic and neuron-extrinsic barriers to spinal cord repair. Journal of Neuroscience. 2016;36(32):8516-8532. Pubmed | .pdf

Jablonski K, Gaudet AD, Amici S, Popovich PG, Guerau-de-Arellano M. Control of the inflammatory macrophage transcriptional signature by miR-155. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(7):e0159724.  Full text | .pdf

Gaudet AD*, Fonken LK*, Gushchina LV, Aubrecht TG, Maurya SK, Periasamy M, Nelson RJ, Popovich PG. miR-155 deletion in female mice prevents diet-induced obesity. Scientific Reports. 2016;6:22862. Full text | .pdf * Contributed equally. 

Fonken LK*, Gaudet AD*, Gaier KR, Nelson RJ, Popovich PG. microRNA-155 deletion reduces anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015;63:362-369. Pubmed | .pdf * Contributed equally.

Carpenter RS, Kigerl KA, Marbourg JM, Gaudet AD, Huey D, Niewiesk S, Popovich PG. Traumatic spinal cord injury in mice with human immune systems. Experimental Neurology. 2015;271:432-444. Pubmed | .pdf

Gaudet AD, Sweet DR, Polinski NK, Guan Z, Popovich PG. Galectin-1 in injured rat spinal cord: Implications for macrophage phagocytosis and neural repair. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. 2015;64:84-94. Pubmed  |  .pdf

Gaudet AD, Popovich PG. Extracellular matrix regulation of inflammation in the healthy and injured spinal cord. Experimental Neurology. 2014;258C:24-34. Pubmed  |  .pdf

Gensel JC, Kigerl KA, Mandrekar-Colucci SS, Gaudet AD, Popovich PG. Achieving CNS axon regeneration by manipulating convergent neuro-immune signaling. Cell and Tissue Research. 2012;349(1):201-13. Pubmed  |  .pdf

Gaudet AD, Popovich PG, Ramer MS. Wallerian degeneration: Gaining perspective on inflammatory events after peripheral nerve injury. J Neuroinflammation.2011;8(1):110. Pubmed  |  Full text

Gaudet AD, Ramer LM, Nakonechny J, Cragg JJ, Ramer MS. Small-group learning in an upper-level university biology class enhances academic performance and student attitudes toward group work. PLoS ONE. 2010;5(12):e15821. Pubmed  |  Full text

Gaudet AD, Leung M, Poirier F, Kadoya T, Horie H, Ramer MS. A role for galectin-1 in the immune response to peripheral nerve injury. Experimental Neurology.  2009;220(2): 320-7. Pubmed  |  .pdf

Gaudet AD, Ramer LM. Mind the GAP: a role for neurofibromin in restricting axonal plasticity. J Neurosci. 2007;27(21):5533-4. Pubmed  |  .pdf

McGraw J, Gaudet AD, Oschipok LW, Kadoya T, Horie H, Steeves JD, Tetzlaff W, Ramer MS. Regulation of neuronal and glial galectin-1 expression by peripheral and central axotomy of rat primary afferent neurons.  Experimental Neurology. 2005; 195(1):103-14. Pubmed  |  Link

McGraw J*, Gaudet AD*, Oschipok LW, Steeves JD, Poirier F, Tetzlaff W, Ramer MS. Altered primary afferent anatomy and reduced thermal sensitivity in mice lacking galectin-1.  Pain. 2005;114(1-2):7-18. Pubmed  |  .pdf  * Contributed equally.

Gaudet AD, Steeves JD, Tetzlaff W, Ramer MS. Expression and functions of galectin-1 in sensory and motoneurons.  Current Drug Targets. 2005;6(4):419-25. Pubmed  |  .pdf

Gaudet AD, Williams SJ, Hwi LP, Ramer MS. Regulation of TRPV2 by axotomy in sympathetic, but not sensory neurons.  Brain Research. 2004;1017(1-2):155-62. Pubmed  |  .pdf

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Gaudet AD, Fonken LK. “Ten tips for finding an effective mentor.” Naturejobs. Web. 25 January 2017.

Gaudet AD, Fonken LK. “Scientific presentations: A cheat sheet.” Naturejobs. Web. 11 January 2017.

Gaudet A. “A grad school survival guide.” Science. 2015;347(6228):1386.    Web | Pubmed | .pdf