Dr. Topp's main interest is in the pathology of peripheral neuropathies. She has studied painful neuropathy induced by cancer chemotherapeutic drugs in animal models, and has demonstrated quantitative changes in sensory neuron microtubules and neurofilaments, as well as degenerative changes in primary sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia following cancer chemotherapy. In their studies of traumatic nerve injury, Dr. Topp and DPTSc student, Ben Boyd, have recently measured significant increases in nerve strain in the first three weeks after injury to the sciatic nerve in a rat model. They have correlated the alterations in biomechanical properties after injury with functional changes in animal gait. She and Ben recently published a review article describing the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of peripheral nerve, and changes in nerve structure and biomechanics that occur in response to physical stresses placed on nerve during everyday activities (Physical Therapy, 2006). With the current doctoral students, Dr. Topp is investigating the subjective and objective responses to neurodynamic clinical tests in subjects with sciatica in the absence of clear lumbar pathology. Lastly, Dr. Topp has a long term collaboration with Dr. Patricia Painter, exercise physiologist, to quantify changes in skeletal muscle tissue in patients with end stage renal disease.

Location
University of California, San Francisco
LR208 Radiobiology Bldg (Parnassus)
San Francisco, CA 94143-0736

Start at 513 Parnassus Street (Medical Sciences Building):

• Go up the large steps (near the roundabout) of the Medical Sciences Building
• Inside the Medical Sciences, go up the rounded staircase
• Once at the top of the steps, go outside the doors
• Make a slight turn to the left: in front of you is the Nursing Building
• Go straight into the Nursing Building
• Go up the stairs and out the door
• Walk up the sheltered walkway to the first door on the left
• This door is the entrance to Laboratory of Radiobiology
• Once entered, the first door on your left leads to a staircase
• Take the stairs to the second floor
• Turn left, down the narrow hallway
• Turn right and go down the hall
• Look to your right for 208 and you are there
• Knock loudly or they will not hear you

Contact
tel: 415-502-2481
fax: 415-502-0323
http://www.ucsf.edu/topplab