Hulya Bayir, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Critical Care Medicine in our Pediatric Division who is rapidly climbing up her research career ladder. She recently obtained an NIH RO1 grant for her continuing studies of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children. The summary of her application indicates that trauma in infants and children remains a significant cause of death and morbidity. Dr. Bayir's studies will employ the newly developed technology of oxidative lipidomics to provide important mechanistic information on the role of phospholipid oxidation in neuronal death after pediatric TBI. She will utilize in vitro and in vivo models and clinical samples to dissect the mechanisms, evaluate therapies, and confirm that this pathway is operating in human pediatric TBI. In addition she will design and evaluate novel mitochondria targeted antioxidants as neuroprotectors and perform assessment of this pathway in therapeutic hypothermia - currently being tested clinically.The ability to selctively modulate this pathway could lead to targeted therapies for TBI and ultimately improve outcome for children after brain injury.