Laboratory research in the Neurosurgery Department focuses on the basic mechanisms of common neurosurgical conditions such as trauma to the brain and spinal cord, the genetic make-up of brain tumors, and the dynamics of brain and cerebrospinal fluid pulsation. The researchers are investigating the utility of measuring certain enzymatic compounds as markers of tumor growth and recurrence, as well as of cerebral ischemia. They are also exploring the role of temporarily-implanted cortical electrodes in the study of memory and learning paradigms.
Areas of current research include:
- The role of novel growth factors in optic nerve regeneration, stroke, and spinal cord injury;
- Inosine and cell-signaling pathways in the CNS;
- finite element analysis description of the changes in brain and ventricular system during the cardiac cycle;
- detailed genetic analysis of malignant and non-malignant brain tumros in children;
- the role of matrix matalloproteinases in the detection of recurrence of pediatric brain tumors
Featured researchers in the Department of Neurosurgery hold faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School.
