Neural Imaging and Histology Core

Overview of Services

We provide routine paraffin-based histology and immunohistochemistry services, with specialized expertise in neural tissue processing and high-volume workflows. We can also provide a service to visualize the fascicular structure of peripheral nerves using a workflow we have optimized for staining and imaging with MicroCT.

Leadership

Andrew Shoffstall, Director
216-368-1213
ajs215@case.edu

Hours & Location

Recent Publications

End to End Imaging Pipeline

• Buyukcelik ON, Lapierre-Landry M, Kolluru C, Upadhye AR, Marshall DP, Pelot NA, et al. Deep-learning segmentation of fascicles from microCT of the human vagus nerve. Front Neurosci. 2023 May 10;17:1169187. doi:10.3389/fnins.2023.1169187 PubMed PMID: 37332862; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10275336.

MicroCT

• Chin J, Settell ML, Brucker-Hahn MK, Lust D, Zhang J, Upadhye AR, et al. Quantification of porcine lower thoracic spinal cord morphology with intact dura mater using high-resolution μCT. Journal of Neuroimaging. 2024;34(6):646–63. doi:10.1111/jon.13239

• Deshmukh A, Chen RCH, Chin J, Knudsen B, Trevathan J, Shoffstall AJ, et al. Prevalence of sympathetic fibers within the rat cervical vagus, and functional consequence on physiological effects mediated by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Journal of Neural Engineering. 2026;23(2):026021.

• Deshmukh A, Cheng K, Settell ML, Knudsen BE, LaLuzerne M, Savage JC, et al. Identification of low threshold off-target activation pathways during stimulation of carotid baroreceptor afferents in swine. Journal of Neural Engineering. 2026 

• Pelot NA, Baumgart I, Blitz A, Brunsman BAS, Cintron E, Coleman JJ, et al. The human vagal complex: from gross anatomy to single neurons, from brainstem to abdomen. Research Square; 2025. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-7707775/v1 PubMed PMID: 41282131; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12633527.

• Upadhye AR, Cintron E, Zhang J, Coleman J, Kolluru C, Jenkins MW, et al. Phosphotungstic Acid Staining to Visualize the Vagus Nerve Perineurium Using Micro-CT. Journal of Neuroimaging. 2025;35(2):e70040. doi:10.1111/jon.70040

• Upadhye AR, Kolluru C, Druschel L, Lababidi LA, Ahmad SS, Menendez DM, et al. Fascicles Split or Merge Every ~560 Microns Within the Human Cervical Vagus Nerve. bioRxiv. 2022 Jan 1;2021.11.09.467343. doi:10.1101/2021.11.09.467343

• Zhang J, Lam VH, Nuzov NB, Brunsman BAS, Pascol T, Onabiyi A, et al. Mapping the fascicular morphology and organization of the human sciatic nerve via high-resolution MicroCT imaging. Sci Rep. 2026 Sep 19. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-71801-x

Contacts

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