Traumatic injury to the nervous system affect many people around the world:

1. There are ~250,000 spinal cord injury patients in the USA and ~17,000 new cases annually. 

2. There are ~60,000 spinal cord injury patients in the UK and ~2,500 new cases annually.  

3. 3% of all trauma cases annually will also have peripheral nerve injury.

 

We study axonal regeneration following traumatic injury, with a specific focus on spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries. The central and peripheral nervous systems respond differently to injury, and even within the central nervous system, certain subsystems demonstrate greater regenerative capacity than others.

 

Our bioengineering approaches promote and enhance axonal regeneration. We develop bioengineered scaffolds with an inner structure composed of linear microchannels that guide axons through an injury site. These channels keep axons in the same pathway in space, preventing mistargeting, thus improving regeneration fidelity.

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We investigate fundamental mechanisms supporting regeneration, such as the role of Schwann cells in peripheral nerve regeneration, the relationship between angiogenesis and regeneration, and axonal responses to various biomaterials. These insights inform the fabrication of our bioengineered scaffolds, enhancing their functionality.

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We further make our scaffolds active by integrating neurotrophic factors drug delivery strategies and conductive biomaterials that are aimed to increase the rate of regeneration. 

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We evaluate these bioengineering approaches in rodent models of spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. Promising approaches advance to preclinical studies, with the goal of progressing to clinical trials and ultimately improving patients' lives.

We welcome new ideas and hypotheses, and are open to collaborations that could help those suffering from traumatic injuries.

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