About
Dr. Absher’s training includes a bachelor’s degree with honors from Radford University, a medical doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University, an internship at the University of Maryland, a neurology residency at the University of Iowa, and a neurobehavior fellowship at UCLA. As an assistant professor of neurology at Wake Forest University, he completed a career development award, pursued clinical and neuroimaging research, co-directed the stroke research fellowship, and produced several publications. Currently, he is collaborating with several Clemson University faculty members including Brian Dean, Ph.D., Terri Bruce, Ph.D., Ken Marcus, Ph.D., and Dara Park, Ph.D. He is also an professor in the Division of Neurology and Department of Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.
How their research is transforming health care
"Dr. Absher’s academic leadership focuses on three related projects that he initiated in August 2017 to pursue neuroscience education, neuroimaging, and clinical/translational research: The NeuroImaging Research Core (NIRC) is a tangible and virtual research computing program that provides infrastructure and expertise for brain imaging education and research. The NIRC offers software, tools, and support, and oversees the NIRC Data Repository and Summer NeuroImaging Research (SNIRP) programs. The NIRC Data Repository is a collaborative effort involving the Institute for Translational Oncology Research (ITOR), Prisma Health–Upstate, Clemson and other Health Sciences Center partners to warehouse biospecimens, clinical data, and neuroimages. The NIRC Data Repository will stimulate scientific collaboration and research and transform neuroscience research and education in the upstate. For example, our Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) research program seeks anatomical, clinical and mechanistic biomarkers (e.g., exosomal components) that increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. The Summer NeuroImaging Research Program (SNIRP) offers undergraduate students brain imaging research experience to stimulate their interest in the neurosciences. Two 2018 SNIRP students developed a novel TBI research project, gathered clinical and brain morphometry data, continue to pursue research and writing tasks, and will help explore clinical, anatomical and biospecimen differences between Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) subjects with and without TBI. The SNIRP has produced two manuscript projects, the ADNI study, plans for two TBI-related grant applications, and efforts to fund the SNIRP in subsequent years. These projects will transform neuroscience research in the Upstate and help to address the critical shortage of brain scientists in South Carolina. "
Health research keywords
Alzheimer, dementia, neurodegenerative disease, neuroimaging, morphometrics, TBI, concussion, exosomes, stroke, cerebrovascular disease, social neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, affective neuroscience, psychiatric neuroimaging, translational neuroscience, data repositories, magnetic resonance imaging, EEG, bioinformatics, computational neuroscience, freesurfer, SPM, matlab, thalamus, cortex, network analysis, graph theory, machine learning, AI, neuropsychology, neurorehabilitation, behavior, neurology, clinical research
