My current work is split between synthetic organometallic chemistry and a variety of analytical projects. The synthetic work is focused on the production of coatings additives that give the coatings antimicrobial properties or the ability to catalytically decompose organic compounds. Synthetic targets include size controlled metal oxide nanoparticles, polyoxometallates, and metallated cyclodextrins.

Analytical projects include collaborative work with Dr. Kelly Drew and Dr. Tom Green in the study of metabolic suppression observed in arctic ground squirrels. Arctic ground squirrels (AGS) exhibit extreme metabolic suppression when they hibernate. Because of their ability to drastically suppress their metabolism during hibernation, AGS are used as an animal model for neuro and cardio protection in the study of traumatic tissue damage such as strokes and heart attacks. My research in this area involves chemical analysis of tissues to determine neurotransmitter levels during the course of various experiments to see if neurotransmitter concentrations can be correlated with the physiological triggering of hibernation events. Additional analytical work is involved with a variety of environmental projects.

1. Christian, Sherri L.; Ross, Austin P.; Zhao, Huiwen W.; Kristenson, Heidi J.; Zhan, Xinhua; Rasley, Brian T.; Bickler, Philip E.; Drew, Kelly L. Arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) hippocampal neurons tolerate prolonged oxygen-glucose deprivation and maintain baseline ERK1/2 and JNK activation despite drastic ATP loss. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism, 2008, 28(7), 1307-1319.

2. Kelly L. Drew*, C. Loren Buck, Brian M. Barnes, Sherri L. Christian, Brian T. Rasley, Michael B. Harris, Central Nervous System Regulation of Mammalian Hibernation.  Journal of Neurochemistry, 2007, 102(6),  1713-1726.

3. Ramesh R. Pant, Brian T. Rasley, Joseph P. Buckley, Christopher T. Lloyd, Robert F. Cozzens, Patrick G. Santangelo, James H. Wynne  Synthesis, Mobility Study and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Novel Self-Spreading Ionic Silicone Oligomers.  Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2007, 104(5), 2954-2964.