Research Interests

  • Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration

  • Traumatic brain injury/concussions

  • Alzheimer’s disease

  • Therapeutic Strategies for Neuroprotection and Neurorestoration

  • Gender differences in response to neuroinflammation

  • Brain-liver axis

  • Brain-gut-microbiome axis

Current Projects

The Villapol Laboratory is interested in developing novel therapies for patients suffering from brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. These are the main Research PROJECTS:

Microbiota-targeted approaches to resolve dysbiosis-induced AD neuropathology following brain injury.

Gut microbiota are an essential neuromodulator of gut-brain axis signaling and can impact brain inflammation and outcome after ischemic injury. Several studies have shown that microbiota composition, diversity, and richness can influence anxiety and depressive behaviors. The Villapol Lab has recently been focused on how TBI affects the function of peripheral systems and is studying how the brain injury alters the microbiome and the resultant impact on TBI-induced affective disorders.

We will investigate how gut dysbiosis after traumatic brain injury accelerates Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and whether microbiome restoration can blunt this trajectory. Building on evidence that the brain injury disrupts intestinal integrity and elevates toxic metabolites, we will define antibiotic effects on AD pathology and test microbiota-focused strategies to reduce neuroinflammation, lower Aβ, and rescue motor and cognitive function.

Contact Sports and Concussion: Exploring new biomarkers for concussions within the gut microbiome

Athletes in contact sports face a high risk of concussion, which can lead to chronic headaches, nausea, anxiety, and depression. Head injuries also disrupt the intestine and its resident microbes, and the brain can respond to these gut-derived signals via the brain–gut axis. This study will map the timeline of post-concussion changes, identify biomarkers of head injury, and guide new treatments to prevent long-term consequences.

Are you interested in joining our study on how concussions affect the gut microbiome in athletes?

Join us in an exciting clinical research study to understand how the gut microbiome influences brain health, particularly in the context of sport-related brain concussion.

How long will the research last, and what will I need to do ?

You are expected to be in this research study for about six months. During the study, blood and stool samples will be collected. You will also be asked to complete neuropsychological testing post-concussion.

Who Can participate? Age 18-30.

Athletes who participate in contact (e.g. football and soccer) or non-contact sports (e.g., swimming, track and field, tennis) on a collegiate level.

Will I be paid for being in this study?

Participants will receive $100 dollars per study visit as compensation for their time and effort.

This study is supported by NFL PA.

The Brain–Liver-gut Inflammatory axis in TBI: Mediators, and Acute-Phase response.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebral ischemia cause focal loss of brain tissue followed by a robust neuroinflammatory response. Beyond the CNS, brain injury perturbs peripheral organ function and triggers systemic effects. Notably, focal brain lesions rapidly induce an acute-phase hepatic response, with liver-derived chemokines amplifying CNS inflammation and mediating bidirectional CNS–liver communication. Yet the specific inflammatory mediators, acute-phase proteins, and the breadth of peripheral organ injury, particularly in the liver, remain poorly defined.

Biomimetic Nanoparticles as a Theranostic tool for Brain Injury and Alzheimer’s disease.

We propose biomimetic nanoparticles that couple treatment and diagnosis for brain injury and AD. By mimicking endogenous membranes and ligands, these nanosystems improve blood–brain barrier transit, cellular uptake, and regional specificity. The same particles deliver therapeutic cargo while furnishing imaging readouts, enabling adaptive, patient-tailored management of neurodegeneration. Studies will be conducted in animal models of TBI and AD.

Intranasal Delivery of Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase mRNA for Therapy of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts neural function in nearly three million Americans each year, causing cognitive deficits and, in severe cases, death. Emerging evidence links TBI to accelerated telomere attrition—shortening of the chromosomal end-caps that protect genomic integrity. We propose to develop an mRNA-based therapeutic strategy to lengthen telomeres in brain cells, with the goal of restoring motor and cognitive function after TBI.

Spaceflight Effects on the Gut–Brain Axis and Immune Function

Spaceflight profoundly reshapes the gut microbiome, with downstream effects on cognition and immune competence. In our animal model, we anticipate dysbiosis, gastrointestinal inflammation, and neuroendocrine perturbations. We will test whether spaceflight-relevant radiation drives cognitive deficits via disruption of the microbiome and evaluate how systemic inflammation modulates neuroendocrine signaling along the gut–brain axis.

CRISPR–Lipid Nanoparticle therapy for traumatic brain injury

Spaceflight profoundly reshapes the gut microbiome, with downstream effects on cognition and immune competence. In our animal model, we anticipate dysbiosis, gastrointestinal inflammation, and neuroendocrine perturbations. We will test whether spaceflight-relevant radiation drives cognitive deficits via disruption of the microbiome and evaluate how systemic inflammation modulates neuroendocrine signaling along the gut–brain axis.

Exploring Microbial Signatures for Neurological Manifestations in Long COVID Patients.

Long COVID affects millions of people, and many continue to have brain-related symptoms such as trouble thinking, fatigue, and mood changes. We will study how the gut microbiome, blood chemicals (metabolites), the immune system, and brain scans are connected in these patients. Understanding these links will help us predict who is likely to develop ongoing neurological problems and guide earlier, more targeted care.

Funding :

We are extremely thankful to all our supporters.

  • Philanthropic funding from Paula and Rusty Walter and Walter Oil & Gas Corp Endowment at Houston Methodist.
  • NFL Players Association.