We are excited to welcome Prof. Deanna Thompson from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as she presents, "Biophysical Stimuli in Neural Engineering"

ABOUT THE SEMINAR

Biophysical Stimuli in Neural Engineering

In the United States alone, there are hundreds of thousands of injuries to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) annually.  Following PNS injury, damage to neural tissue and the surrounding area often results in failed axonal re-growth and a subsequent loss of function.  To date, engineered strategies are unable to match or exceed the current gold standard, nerve autografts, which are in limited supply, motivating the development of new approaches.  Exogenous electrical stimulation may provide an alternative route to enhance axonal re-growth following large-gap PNS injuries and deep brain stimulation is being used in a variety of neurological disorders and degenerative diseases.  In vivo, endogenous electrical currents (<140 mV/mm) are present during embryogenesis and influence tissue organization.  Changes in neurite outgrowth and non-neuronal cells (e.g. Schwann cell and endothelial cell) were investigated following exposure to exogenous DC electrical stimulation to promote re-growth following injury.   

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Deanna Thompson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Dr. Thompson is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and directs a research program in Neural Engineering with funding from NIH, NSF, DOD, and the New York State Department of Health (NYSTEM and NYSCIRP). She was a Pre-doctoral NIH trainee in Biotechnology with training in both Engineering and Life Sciences, earning her degrees in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Thompson was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Center for Engineering in Medicine with appointments at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Shriners Burns Hospital. 

Dr. Thompson is a recipient of the JD Watson Young Investigator Award and was a recipient of the Rensselaer School of Engineering Research Excellence Award. Her laboratory is engaged in neural tissue engineering research for nerve regeneration, spinal cord injury repair, and neurodegenerative diseases.

ABOUT THE BME SEMINAR SERIES

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University is proud to host an annual weekly seminar series on the latest developments and research in Biomedical Engineering. The weekly series takes place on Friday mornings at 11:00 AM Eastern and includes a variety of renowned academics from top universities to talk about their specific research and experience. This is a hybrid event.