Christopher D. Kroenke, Ph.D.
- Professor, Oregon National Primate Research Center
- Advanced Imaging Research Center
Biography
The Kroenke laboratory develops magnetic resonance techniques for characterizing brain throughout the lifespan, with a focus on the fetal developmental period. Specific areas of interest include:
Using non-invasive imaging to model brain growth: Recent advances in fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have provided us with high resolution 3D images of the fetal human brain throughout gestation. The Kroenke laboratory is characterizing this highly dynamic phase of brain development in multiple mammalian species, with the goal of relating information available through fetal MRI to underlying biological processes such as cell proliferation and morphological development.
The role of biomechanics in the formation of gyri and sulci: The folded cerebral cortical surface distinguishes the brains of many phylogenetically-advanced species from lissencephalic (“smooth-brained”) species such as mice and rats. Observations of abnormal brain folding patterns in individuals affected by various neurodevelopmental disorders suggest that folding relates to functional development of the brain. The Kroenke laboratory contributes to this research area by integrating imaging data with mechanical measurements and computational simulations of growth, to understand how mechanical phenomena influence cortical folding in development.
Understanding how cell morphology influences diffusion-weighted MRI: Diffusion MRI (also sometimes termed diffusion tensor imaging, or DTI) can be used to non-invasively measure the direction of axon fibers within a specific brain region, and this technique is used in “fiber tractography,” the delineation of the major white matter fiber bundles of the brain. The Kroenke laboratory has contributed understanding of the biophysics that links diffusion MRI data to the underlying structure of tissue, and ongoing work aims to use this information in studies of cellular development at the time in which functional neural circuits are formed.
Animal models of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disease: The Kroenke laboratory has developed animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders, and collaborated extensively with other OHSU investigators, to apply MRI in the characterization of environmental influences on brain development and function. Examples include the influence of alcohol exposure throughout the lifespan, and characterization of various perturbations to fetal brain development. Such studies aim to expand our understanding of findings from neuroimaging studies of human subjects by enabling precise experimental control over research subjects, and validation of MRI-based findings with independent experimental approaches.
Dr. Kroenke received his Ph.D. in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University in 2000. He pursued his postdoctoral fellowship in the Washington University Department of Radiology. He was an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Washington University before he joined OHSU in 2006. Dr. Kroenke holds affiliate appointments in the OHSU Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Behevioral Neuroscience.
Education and training
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Degrees
- Ph.D., 2000, Columbia University
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Fellowship
- Postdoctoral fellowship, Washington University, Department of Radiology
Areas of interest
- Fetal development
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Neurodevelopment disorders
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Publications
Publications
Gestational and early postnatal protein malnutrition disrupts neurodevelopment in rhesus macaques
Cerebral CortexLongitudinal MRI of the developing ferret brain reveals regional variations in timing and rate of growth
Cerebral CortexPrenatal delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure alters fetal neurodevelopment in rhesus macaques
Scientific ReportsAlcohol Dependence Modifies Brain Networks Activated During Withdrawal and Reaccess
Biological PsychiatryAlterations of fractional anisotropy throughout cortico-basal ganglia gray matter in a macaque model of Huntington's Disease
Current Research in NeurobiologyBrain volumetrics across the lifespan of the rhesus macaque
Neurobiology of AgingEarly-in-life isoflurane exposure alters resting-state functional connectivity in juvenile non-human primates
British journal of anaesthesiaImpaired placental hemodynamics and function in a non-human primate model of gestational protein restriction
Scientific ReportsMulti-scale measurement of stiffness in the developing ferret brain
Scientific ReportsA novel rhesus macaque model of Huntington’s disease recapitulates key neuropathological changes along with motor and cognitive decline
eLifeAssociation of cerebral microvascular dysfunction and white matter injury in Alzheimer’s disease
GeroScienceBrain Functional Connectivity Mapping of Behavioral Flexibility in Rhesus Monkeys
Journal of NeuroscienceEffects of early daily alcohol exposure on placental function and fetal growth in a rhesus macaque model
American journal of obstetrics and gynecologyFetal lung development via quantitative biomarkers from diffusion MRI and histological validation in rhesus macaques
Journal of PerinatologyQuantitative longitudinal T2*mapping for assessing placental function and association with adverse pregnancy outcomes across gestation
PloS oneA model of tension-induced fiber growth predicts white matter organization during brain folding
Nature communicationsThe macaque brain ONPRC18 template with combined gray and white matter labelmap for multimodal neuroimaging studies of Nonhuman Primates
NeuroImageA 16-channel loop array for in vivo macaque whole-brain imaging at 3 T
Magnetic Resonance ImagingAnatomical and diffusion MRI brain atlases of the fetal rhesus macaque brain at 85, 110 and 135 days gestation
NeuroImageA neonatal nonhuman primate model of gestational Zika virus infection with evidence of microencephaly, seizures and cardiomyopathy
PloS oneIn utero MRI identifies consequences of early-gestation alcohol drinking on fetal brain development in rhesus macaques
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaLongitudinal Effects of Immediate and Delayed Estradiol on Cognitive Performance in a Spatial Maze and Hippocampal Volume in Menopausal Macaques Under an Obesogenic Diet
Frontiers in NeurologyMotion corrected MRI differentiates male and female human brain growth trajectories from mid-gestation
Nature communicationsChronic alcohol drinking slows brain development in adolescent and young adult nonhuman primates
eNeuroDetecting Neurodevelopmental Effects of Early-Gestation Ethanol Exposure
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental ResearchMaternal circulating miRNAs that predict infant FASD outcomes influence placental maturation
Life science allianceMaternal high-fat diet reversal improves placental hemodynamics in a nonhuman primate model of diet-induced obesity
International Journal of ObesityThe Effect of Onset Age of Visual Deprivation on Visual Cortex Surface Area Across-Species
Cerebral CortexThe effects of breastfeeding versus formula-feeding on cerebral cortex maturation in infant rhesus macaques
NeuroImageAdverse Placental Perfusion and Pregnancy Outcomes in a New Nonhuman Primate Model of Gestational Protein Restriction
Reproductive Sciences