The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
McGovern Medical School
Department of Neurology

My research focuses on developing novel therapies for ischemic stroke.  I am a physician specializing in cerebrovascular disease and I conduct both animal and clinical research with a specific focus on cell-based therapies as a new, investigational approach to enhance recovery after stroke.  We use rat and mice models to study mechanisms and conduct translational research in stroke.  We have developed models in which bone marrow is aspirated at least 24 hrs after stroke and different populations of bone marrow cells are isolated and re-infused for autologous applications.  Using this model, we have been characterizing the therapeutic time window, dose response, and optimal delivery routes of different types of bone marrow cells.  Based on promising results in the lab, we initiated an NIH-funded clinical trial testing the safety and feasibility of extracting bone marrow mononuclear cells from stroke patients and intravenously re-administering autologous cells back to the patients within 24-72 hrs after stroke onset.  We are actively studying the mechanisms of how bone marrow cells and other types of cell therapies enhance recovery after stroke.  We are also working with cells from umbilical cord and placenta.  It has recently been shown that peripheral organs may be a target of stem cell therapies in acute neurological disorders and we are therefore currently assessing the relationships of peripheral organs with the brain after stroke.

Projects:

1. Dissecting the mechanisms of how autologous bone marrow cells enhance recovery from stroke

2. Modulation of the peripheral immune system by allogeneic cells in animal models of brain injury

PubMed

McGovern Medical School Faculty

Education & Training

M.D. - Albert Einstein College of Medicine - 2000