Pelin Cengiz, MD, was recently awarded a $50,000 one-year grant from the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) and the Waisman Center for her project, “Role of ERα following brain injury: ligand dependent or independent?” In her previous studies, Dr. Cengiz found a novel pathway in female brains that resulted in better long-term neurological outcome in mice following brain injury. This pathway involves the increased expression of the sex-steroid receptor estrogen receptor alpha in female but not in male brains. In this project, Dr. Cengiz will expand on her previous novel findings of the upregulation of estrogen receptor alpha in female neonate brains being neuroprotective and investigate whether this receptor activation is dependent on the sex steroid, estradiol. If she proves that the ERα is dependent on estradiol, she will determine whether the estradiol is originating from adrenals or brain.