Prof. Jessica A. Filosa Augusta University, Georgia, USA

Jessica Filosa has been working in the area of neurovascular coupling for 14 years. Early work under the mentorship of Dr. Mark Nelson at the University of Vermont demonstrated that potassium efflux from astrocytic endfeet processes contributed to neurovascular coupling mediated dilations via activation of inwardly rectifying K+ channels expressed... read morein parenchymal arteriole smooth muscle cells. She then demonstrated, in the absence of neuronal stimulation, a constitutive arteriole-astrocyte intercellular signaling modality contributing to the establishment of baseline vascular tone. She is currently Associate Professor at Augusta University, her main research is focused on elucidating the cellular mechanisms by which hemodynamic changes, primarily changes in vascular tone, alter resting astrocyte and neuronal activity in health and disease.