Professor

Graduate Training: Warsaw University; University of Southern Denmark

Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy
West Virginia University School of Medicine
One Medical Center Drive
PO Box 9128 Health Sciences Center
Morgantown, WV 26506-9128
t: 304-293-0594
f: 304-293-8159
e: gkonat@hsc.wvu.edu

Research Interests

Excessive inflammatory response is a deleterious feature of major central nervous system (CNS) pathologies, most notably, stroke, spinal cord/brain injury and chronic neurodegenerative conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. CNS inflammation is mediated by innate immune cells (i.e., resident glial cells and infiltrating leukocytes). Upon activation these cells generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytokines, enzymes and other inflammatory agents that exert a vast array of adverse effects on CNS tissue. Therefore, the understanding of mechanisms that control neuroinflammation is critical for the development of rational and efficient therapeutic strategies to combat CNS pathologies.