Our primary goal is to develop improved ways to treat neurological conditions of childhood. We are particularly interested in disorders affecting the white matter: the part of the nervous system involved in connecting different parts of the brain to one another and to the rest of the body. We are working on newborn brain disorders, such as white matter injury of prematurity, which can cause developmental delays, disability, cerebral palsy, seizures, and many other problems. We are also working on inflammatory and genetic conditions that affect white matter in older patients.
We use laboratory methods including primary cell culture and animal models to understand the basic biology of white matter injury, and to identify and validate novel therapeutics. We also perform neuroimaging, observational and interventional clinical research. Much of our work includes multidisciplinary collaborations with scientists and clinicians within and outside of UCSF, including the laboratories of Jonah Chan, Ari Green, Yi Li and Duan Xu. Together, we aim to improve preventative strategies and treatment options for patients.