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Grant O'Connell, PhD, MB(ASCP)

Associate Professor, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing
Director, Molecular Biomarker Core, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

Teaching Information

Courses Taught

Advanced Pathophysiology
Molecular Methods in Clinical Research

Research Information

Research Interests

  • Stroke
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Biomarkers
  • Molecular diagnostics
  • Precision medicine
  • Neuroimmunology

Publications

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of stroke blood biomarker data highlights need for more translational research methods. Christine G. Smothers, Shivam A. Gandhi, Julia H. Chang, Sadia M. Tahir, Jarrett Kelley, Emily Wang, Kareem Fareed, Hannah Mack, Cindy Dong, Madaline Witort, Bethany L. Armentrout, Darynaisha Crawford, Jing Wang, Kara Williams, Zea Bud, Christine Horvat-Davey, Chris Winkelman, Sarah R. Martha, Jon W. Schrock, Agnieszka A. Ardelt, Grant C. O’ConnellNature Communications (2026)
  • Brain expression levels of commonly measured blood biomarkers of neurological damage differ with respect to sex, race, and age. Grant C. O’Connell, Christine G. Smothers, Jing Wang, Suebsarn Ruksakulpiwat, Bethany L. Armentrout. Neuroscience (2024)
  • Large-scale informatic analysis to algorithmically identify novel blood biomarkers of neurological damage. Grant C. O’Connell, Megan L. Alder, Christine G. Smothers, Julia H.C. Chang. PNAS (2020)
  • Bioinformatic analysis of brain-specific miRNAs for identification of candidate traumatic brain injury blood biomarkers. Grant C. O’Connell, Christine G. Smothers, Chris Winkelman. Brain Injury (2020)
  • Monocyte-lymphocyte cross-communication via soluble CD163 directly links innate immune system activation and adaptive immune system suppression following ischemic stroke. Grant C. O’Connell, Connie S. Tennant, Noelle Lucke-Wold, Yasser Kabbani, Abdul R. Tarabishy, Paul D. Chantler, Taura L. Barr. Scientific Reports (2017)
  • Machine-learning approach identifies a pattern of gene expression in peripheral blood which can accurately detect ischaemic stroke. Grant C. O’Connell, Ashley B. Petrone, Madison B. Treadway, Connie S. Tennant, Noelle Wold, Paul D. Chantler, Taura L. Barr. npj Genomic Medicine (2016)

Complete list of publications on Google Scholar.

Education

BS
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
MS
West Virginia University
PhD
Biomedical Sciences
West Virginia University