The brain, like a computer,
has “hardwire” connected by
fibers (light blue). Drs. Little
and Steele use magnetic
resonance imaging to see
and measure the effects of
brain injury and neurotoxic
exposure to these fibers.
Institutes of Mental Health-funded
Firefighter Risk and Resilience Study
to understand the effects of exposure
to potentially traumatic stress and why
some first responders develop PTSD,
substance abuse, or other symptoms.
Dr. Gulliver has particular interest in
how the profile of career firefighters,
who are continually exposed to stress
for decades, may differ from military
personnel who serve tours of duty in
a theater of war. Her team recently
completed a Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA)-funded
study of effective ways first responders
can intervene when they see a
colleague struggling with behavioral
health issues. Currently, her Firefighter
Research Team receives funding from
FEMA to develop support interventions
in relation to firefighter suicides
that will assist colleagues, family,
and friends of firefighters who’ve
taken their lives. Thus, Dr. Gulliver’s
work encompasses assessment and
treatment outcome research.
DR. STEELE is Research Professor
and Director of the Veterans Health
Research Program in the Institute
of Biomedical Studies at Baylor
University. Dr. Steele is examining
the effects of Gulf War Illness and in
2013 testified to a United States House
Sub-committee on Oversight and
Investigation on Gulf War veterans’
care. Gulf War Illness is recognized
as the result of chemical exposures
during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, not
combat stress. Its symptoms include
chronic headaches, widespread pain,
memory and concentration problems,
as well as other abnormalities. She
leads several federally funded studies
of Gulf War Illness to ultimately create
a diagnostic test for the condition
and identify more effective treatment
options. Dr. Steele is comparing blood
samples of veterans who have and
have not been diagnosed with Gulf
War Illness, looking at immune and
endocrine differences, and evaluating
neuroimaging (brain) scans. Another
study profiles Gulf War Illness
symptoms and additional medical
diagnoses, such as multiple sclerosis
or cancer, to ascertain if veterans have
increased rates of disease. It has been
documented that they have higher
rates of Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and
that veterans exposed to low levels of
chemical nerve agents during the 1991
Gulf War have died from brain