Project
There are around 500,000 new spinal cord injury cases (SCI) every year worldwide, most of which are from traumatic causes. In adults, central nervous system (CNS) neurons fail to regenerate post-injury leading to permanent disability for many that suffer from SCIs. This lack of regeneration is partly due to the abundance of inhibitory cues in the lesion environment, such as from the formation of a glial scar. Chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) is a bacterial enzyme that can break down the glial scar, allowing neurons to infiltrate into the lesion site. Cell transplantation can then be supplied as a source of healthy neurons. My research focuses on the co-delivery of neural stem cells with ChABC and other pro-regenerative peptides to promote neuron regeneration after SCI.
Education
Ph.D. Candidate (2022 – Present)
Biomedical Engineering
University of Toronto
Bachelor of Applied Science (2017 – 2022)
Civil Engineering
University of Alberta