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Department of Neurosurgery

Houston, Texas

Department of Neurosurgery
Department of Neurosurgery
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Research

Research is an integral part of the Neurosurgery Residency Program. The Department of Neurosurgery has more than 6,000 square feet of well-equipped basic science laboratory space as well as facilities for clinical research. Specialized facilities for neurosurgical research include the following:

Microvascular Surgery and Anatomical Dissection Laboratory:
Equipped with operating microscopes and surgical equipment for performing craniotomies and laminectomies.

The Methodist Hospital Neurosurgical Suite:
Fully equipped for stereotactic surgery, recording from depth electrodes, electrocorticography, evoked potential studies and microelectrode recording during stereotactic surgery.

The Houston Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center Neurosurgical Suite:
Equipped for stereotactic surgery and microelectrode recording.

The Ben Taub General Hospital Center for Neurosurgical Intensive Care:
Equipped with computerized monitoring of intracranial pressure, cardiovascular activity, cerebral blood flow, metabolism and other physiological measurements, The Center is a leader in neurotrauma research.

Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory:
Facilities for molecular biological techniques, tissue culture, immuno-histochemistry and virus mediated gene therapy.

Spinal Regeneration Laboratory:
Equipped for confocal and fluorescence microscopy, tissue culture and molecular biological techniques.

The following is a partial list of the department’s current major research projects grouped by grant type.

NIH Supported:

  • Head Injury Program Project: Vascular Mechanisms of Secondary Insults in Severe Brain Injury
  • Cognitive Functioning Following Deep Brain Stimulation
  • Nonviral Vectors for Gene Transfer in Trauma and in the Aged Brain
  • Gene Delivery for Spinal Cord Injury Repair
  • Neurobehavioral Outcome of Head Injury in Children
  • Molecular Probes to Image DNA Damage in Brain Cells
  • In Situ Ligation for Detection of Specific DNA Damage
  • Glial Restricted Precursors and Spinal Cord Repair
  • Ethical Issues in Emergency Research

Veteran’s Administration:

  • A Randomized Prospective Comparison of Staged Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation to a Staged Pallidal Procedure for Patients with Refractory Parkinson’s Disease
  • Molecular Probes to Image DNA Damage in Live and Fixed Brain Cells
  • Texas Coordinating Board – ATP Grants:
    Genetically Modified Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Transplantation for Age-Related Neuronal Degeneration
  • Voluntary and Other Health Agencies:
    An Investigation of the Ability of Transplanted Type 1 Astrocytes to Modify Glial Scar Formation and Promote Axon Regeneration After Adult Rat Spinal Cord Injury
  • Modification of the Glial Scar to Promote Axon Regeneration in the Injured Adult Central Nervous System
  • Novel Treatments for Malignant Brain Tumors and Stroke