Development of Electrospun Fibers for Treatment of Contusive Spinal Cord Injury

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

4:00 PM-5:30 PM

BIOMED Seminar

Title:
Development of Electrospun Fibers for Treatment of Contusive Spinal Cord Injury

Speaker:
Ryan J. Gilbert, PhD
Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Abstract:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects approximately 12,000 Americans each year, and there is currently no FDA-approved treatment that appreciably improves lost function. While combinatorial approaches are likely to best facilitate robust regeneration and recovery, few strategies include topographical cues to direct white matter tract regeneration. Biomaterials that guide white matter tract regeneration are employed within complete transection models of SCI. While biomaterial guides support directed axonal regeneration, translation into human SCI injury (which is mostly contusive in nature) remains challenging.

In this talk, electrospun fibers will be introduced as viable materials to promote white matter tract regeneration. Additionally, we will present work demonstrating the ability of electrospun fibers to change astrocyte behavior. We will present new approaches for using electrospun fibers as drug delivery vehicles. Lastly, we will reveal novel approaches for developing injectable fiber strategies for treatment of contusive SCI.

WATCH WEBCAST

Biosketch:
Dr. Ryan Gilbert is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director for the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (Biomaterials). He recently served as chairman of the Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine panel. He is currently an Associate Editor of the journal Cells, Tissues, and Organs. Dr. Gilbert has received numerous teaching awards and was recently awarded the top teaching award at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (in 2016).

Since 2010, Dr. Gilbert has directed the Central Nervous System Biomaterial Laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where his research program focuses on developing biomaterials for traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury applications. His laboratory is currently supported by funding from NSF, NIH NINDS, and the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Board.

Contact Information

Ken Barbee
215-895-1335
barbee@drexel.edu