Immune response to bacterial infection, inflammation, and neurodegeneration appear to be intrinsically linked. Using an E. Coli mouse model, we compare relative BDNF levels in the CA1 to CA3 hippocampal circuit in both young and aged animals after infection subsides. My other research interests include measuring mitochondrial dysfunction and morphology in early neurodegeneration, utilizing SunSET to measure localized protein synthesis, and using immunohistochemistry to stain for Arc protein to measure plasticity.