RESEARCH & DISCOVERIES
Current Areas of Study
IMMUNE CELL PROFILING IN MS
Distinct immune cell types can increase or decrease in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis. Using cytometry by time-of-flight and single-cell RNA sequencing, we capture these changes in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis.
PROTEIN PROFILING IN MS
Biomarkers can help better understand an individual’s diagnosis and prognosis. We use a single-molecule array (Simoa) technology to study proteins that are difficult to detect using more common methods due to their low abundance in blood and spinal fluid.
EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are shed by cells under normal and pathological conditions. They carry proteins and nucleic acids that can be indicative of pathophysiological conditions. EVs are widely considered as promising biomarkers for clinical diagnostics.
ZEBRAFISH MODEL OF MS
Cytokines play critical roles in regulating immune responses and the communication between cells of the immune and nervous systems. We are using the zebrafish to reveal the fundamental mechanisms of multiple sclerosis by investigating the effects of key cytokines on demyelination, remyelination, and axonal damage.