Behavioral Core

The BRAINS Research Lab has developed a state-of-the-art behavior core within UT Health McGovern School of Medicine that is available to all collaborating labs. Our behavior core is composed of six (6) individual testing rooms, encompassing approximately 1,000 square feet of space. We offer a number of tests to assess rodent behavior in terms of motor, social, depressive, and cognitive function, as well as activities of daily living. All tests are video recorded and are primarily analyzed through Noldus Ethovision (v17.) and Packwin (v2.0.09) and stored internally on UT Health BRAINS Behavior Core network drive.

Motor function:

Open Field
Rotor Rod
Digigait
Grip Strength

Cognitive function:

Fear Conditioning
Morris Water Maze
Barnes Maze
Novel Object Recognition

Social behaviors:

Reciprocal Social Interaction
Three Chamber Sociability

Depression:

Tail Suspension
Forced Swim
Sucrose Consumption
Sucrose Spray

Activity:

Running Wheel
Nesting

Our Team

Frank W Blixt, PhD – Research Scientist

Behavioral Core Manager, BRAINS Laboratory

Education & Training
BS Zoology Biomedical Science, University of Oklahoma – Norman, OK (2011)
MS Biology, Lund University – Sweden (2013)
PhD Clinical Sciences, Lund University – Sweden (2018)

Areas of Interest
Research interests: microbiome influence on development, generational effects of dysbiosis, stroke, retinal ischemia
Clinical interests: microbiome targeted therapies for stroke prevention/recovery

Research & Experience
-Retinal Ischemia – A Vascular Perspective (2014-2018) under the supervision of Professor Lars Edvinsson and Professor Karin Warfvinge – Lund University, Sweden
-The role of CGRP in migraine pathophysiology (2014-2020) under the supervision of Professor Lars Edvinsson and Professor Kristian Agmund Haanes – Glostrup Research Park, Denmark

Hobbies & Interests
Film making and editing, European football, and working out.