Beverly Greenwood-Van Meerveld PhD FACG
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Director, Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience
Presbyterian Health Foundation Chair in Neuroscience
VA Career Scientist
Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center
Phone:405-270-0501x 3547
Email:beverley-greenwood@ouhsc.edu
Title: Effect of Early Life Trauma on the Aging Gut
My research focuses on the effect of emotional stress and trauma on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Early life stress and trauma produce profound and enduring effects on both the brain and behavior. Adults, who have experienced child abuse, neglect or loss of a parent, exhibit significantly higher rates of disorders such as depression and anxiety. Recently adverse early experiences have been shown as a significant risk factor for the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common gastrointestinal (GI) disorder found in 15-20% of the general population and characterized by symptoms of abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. IBS is a common GI illness in the elderly, two thirds of IBS patients are women and there are strong connections to life stressors, early life physical/sexual abuse and an emotionally reactive disposition to the outbreak of IBS symptomatology. Moreover, Veterans are returning home suffering from IBS-like symptoms, that we theorize are triggered by anxiety created by war. Specifically, I am very interested in the role of the limbic brain system in the regulation of abdominal pain of GI origin.
Research Support:
Over many years I have been able to maintain a successful research laboratory and my personal funding strategy has always been to have a "diversified" funding portfolio and obtain funding from multiple sources including federal grants, private foundations and industry. Currently my research is supported by federal funds including the Veterans's Administration, (VA Career Scientist Salary (VA component) (2006-2011); VA Merit Review (Greenwood-PI) "Central Mechanisms Modulating Visceral Hyper-sensitivity (Oct. 2005-Sept. 2008; VA Merit Review (Greenwood-PI) "Understanding Pain of Gastrointestinal Origin in Women that Serve in OEF/OIF" (Oct. 2007-March 2010)), National Institutes of Health NIH R21 Grant (Greenwood-Co-Investigator. Cross-sensitization between bladder and colon (July 2005-June 2007), Reynolds, Oklahoma Center on Aging, Veteran's Research Foundation, Fraternal Order of Eagles and multiple industrial contracts.