Assistant Professor
Phone: 502-852-1333
Fax: 502-852-6228
E-mail

My general research interests focus on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). Working in collaboration with the faculty in the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center (KSCIRC, www.kscirc.org), we continue to develop stem cell-based therapies facilitating neuronal replacement, spinal regeneration, and ex vivo gene therapy. More specifically, our recent efforts have been focused on better understanding vascular mechanisms of spinal cord injury.

Following traumatic SCI, the delicate microvascular network of the spinal cord is damaged and exhibits hyperacute pathology including petichial hemorrhage, leakiness, and endothelial cell death. Interestingly, the spinal microvasculature undergoes a second phase of dysfunction, which begins 3-7 days following the initial traumatic insult. Little is known about this second wave of microvascular pathology but it appears to be largely regulated by various cellular and molecular secondary injury cascades and ultimately results in further vascular destabilization and dysfunction, which contributes to the secondary loss of spinal tissue. Thus, we are actively advancing research focused on characterizing the anatomy and physiology of spinal vessels in the evolving injury epicenter, developing intravital tracing techniques to identify both normal and pathologic spinal microvessels, and identify novel molecular regulators of vascular pathology following SCI. Our ultimate goal is the development of vascular-focused therapeutic strategies, both stem cell-based and small molecule-centric, which will both stabilize degenerating microvessels and promote the growth of functional microvascular networks. We feel this is a promising area of research that will one day lead to functional recovery following SCI.