Eileen M. Foecking, PhD

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience

Education

B.S. in Biochemistry, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Physiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Research Interests

The research of Dr. Foecking focuses on the underlying mechanisms of neural injury and repair in the context of both trauma and disease. One area of study lies in the understanding the progression of chronic traumatic encephalopathy following repeat mild traumatic brain injury and neurotherapeutic potential of gonadal steroid hormones to slow the progression. I am also interested in developing a universally applied combinatorial therapy of gonadal steroid and electrical stimulation to enhance functional recovery from multiple clinically relevant peripheral nerve injury models including facial and recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries. Additional research interests lie in the utilization of nerve grafts and neural conduits to repair and regeneration, the toxicity of local anesthetics in nerve injury models, and the application of combinatorial therapeutic for nerve regeneration.

Publications/Research Listings

Eileen Foecking. Distinct Neurotoxic Effects of Select Local Anesthetics on Facial Nerve Injury and Recovery. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 2020 ;2 (38):173-183.
Eileen Foecking. Targeted Antioxidants Attenuate TGF-ß2 Signaling in Human Trabecular Meshwork Cells. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 2019 ;10(60):3613-3624.
Foecking, EM; Burgess, BD; Fridrici, ZC; Bialek, SE; Low, C; Charous, SJ Effects of the Number of Muscle-Nerve-Muscle Grafts on Rat Facial Nerve Functional Recovery. The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology 2018. 
Charous, S. J.; Hotaling, J. M.; Burgess, B. D.; Sappington, J. M.; Park, J.; Turek, G.; Foecking, E. M. Muscle-Nerve-Muscle Grafting for Facial Reanimation in Rats. The Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology 2017; 126(4):261-267.
Loochtan, M. J.; Balcarcel, D.; Carroll, E.; Foecking, E. M.; Thorpe, E. J.; Charous, S. J. Vocal Fold Paralysis after Esophagectomy for Carcinoma Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2016 ;155(1):122-126.
Ni, A.; Yang, T.; Mesnard-Hoaglin, N. A.; Gutierrez, R.; Stubbs, E. B., Jr; McGuire, S. O.; Sanders, V. M.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M.; Xin, J. Th17 Cell Response in SOD1(G93A) Mice following Motor Nerve Injury Mediators of inflammation 2016 ;2016:6131234.
Caballero, N.; Welch, K. C.; Carpenter, P. S.; Mehrotra, S.; O'Connell, T. F.; Foecking, E. M. Association between chronic acetaminophen exposure and allergic rhinitis in a rat model Allergy & rhinology (Providence, R.I.) 2015 ;6(3):162-167.
Foecking E. M, Fargo K N, Brown TJ, Sengelaub D, Jones KJ Neural Regeneration 2015.
Monaco, G. N.; Brown, T. J.; Burgette, R. C.; Fargo, K. N.; Akst, L. M.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Electrical stimulation and testosterone enhance recovery from recurrent laryngeal nerve crush Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 2015 ;33(4):571-578.
O'Connell, T. F.; Carpenter, P. S.; Caballero, N.; Putnam, A. J.; Steere, J. T.; Matz, G. J.; Foecking, E. M. Increased thermal pain sensitivity in animals exposed to chronic high dose vicodin (R) but not pure hydrocodone Pain Physician 2014 ;17(4):353-357.
Amine, M.; Foecking, E. M.; Marzo, S. J. Intracranial facial nerve crush injury and facial motor nuclei cell loss in rats Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2014 ;151(3):443-446.
Brown, T. J.; Pittman, A. L.; Monaco, G. N.; Benscoter, B. J.; Mantravadi, A. V.; Akst, L. M.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Androgen treatment and recovery of function following recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in the rat Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 2013 ;31(2):169-176.
Burgette, R. C.; Benscoter, B. J.; Monaco, G. N.; Kircher, M. L.; Mantravadi, A. V.; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. A rat model for intracranial facial nerve crush injuries Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2012 ;146(2):326-330.
Foecking, E. M.; Fargo, K. N.; Coughlin, L. M.; Kim, J. T.; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J. Single session of brief electrical stimulation immediately following crush injury enhances functional recovery of rat facial nerve. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development 2012 ;49(3):451-458.
Fargo, K. N.; Foecking, E. M.; Jones, K. J. Muscle matters--dendrites grow up Endocrinology 2011 ;152(2):346-348.
Sharma, N.; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Electrical stimulation and testosterone differentially enhance expression of regeneration-associated genes. Experimental neurology 2010 ;223(1):183-191.
Sharma, N.; Moeller, C. W.; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Combinatorial treatments enhance recovery following facial nerve crush. Laryngoscope 2010 ;120(8):1523-1530.
Marzo, S. J.; Moeller, C. W.; Sharma, N.; Cunningham, K.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Facial motor nuclei cell loss with intratemporal facial nerve crush injuries in rats. Laryngoscope 2010 ;120 (11): 2264-2269.
Fargo, KN, Pak TR, Foecking EM, Jones KJ Hormones, Brains, and Behavior 2009 ;2
Sharma, N.; Coughlin, L.; Porter, R. G.; Tanzer, L.; Wurster, R. D.; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Effects of electrical stimulation and gonadal steroids on rat facial nerve regenerative properties. Restorative Neurology & Neuroscience 2009 ;27(6):633-644.
Sharma, N.; Cunningham, K.; Porter, R. G., Sr; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Comparison of extratemporal and intratemporal facial nerve injury models. Laryngoscope 2009 ;119(12):2324-2330.
Fargo, K. N.; Foecking, E. M.; Jones, K. J.; Sengelaub, D. R. Neuroprotective actions of androgens on motoneurons Frontiers in neuroendocrinology 2009 ;30(2):130-141.
Lal, D.; Hetzler, L. T.; Sharma, N.; Wurster, R. D.; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Electrical stimulation facilitates rat facial nerve recovery from a crush injury. Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery 2008 ;139(1):68-73.
Hetzler, L. E.; Sharma, N.; Tanzer, L.; Wurster, R. D.; Leonetti, J.; Marzo, S. J.; Jones, K. J.; Foecking, E. M. Accelerating functional recovery after rat facial nerve injury: Effects of gonadal steroids and electrical stimulation. Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery 2008 ;139(1): 62-67.
Foecking, E. M.; McDevitt, M. A.; Acosta-Martinez, M.; Horton, T. H.; Levine, J. E. Neuroendocrine consequences of androgen excess in female rodents Hormones and behavior 2008 ;53(5):673-692.
Fargo, K. N.; Galbiati, M.; Foecking, E. M.; Poletti, A.; Jones, K. J. Androgen regulation of axon growth and neurite extension in motoneurons Hormones & Behavior 2008 ;53(5):716-728.
Demissie, M.; Lazic, M.; Foecking, E. M.; Aird, F.; Dunaif, A.; Levine, J. E. Transient prenatal androgen exposure produces metabolic syndrome in adult female rats. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism 2008 ;295(2):E262-8.
Foecking, E. M.; Levine, J. E. Effects of experimental hyperandrogenemia on the female rat reproductive axis: suppression of progesterone-receptor messenger RNA expression in the brain and blockade of luteinizing hormone surges Gender Medicine 2005 ;2(3):155-165.
Foecking, E. M.; Szabo, M.; Schwartz, N. B.; Levine, J. E. Neuroendocrine consequences of prenatal androgen exposure in the female rat: absence of luteinizing hormone surges, suppression of progesterone receptor gene expression, and acceleration of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator Biology of reproduction 2005 ;72(6):1475-1483.