Traumatic insult to the spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating medical problem. In United States alone thousands of people suffer from these injuries leading to complete paralysis. SCI not only causes severe physical damage to humans, but also causes substantial psychological, social, and financial burden to the world population. Currently, there is not an effective treatment for people suffering from SCI. Therefore, there is an urgent need to continue to improve and develop new therapies to treat SCI. After insult to the spinal cord, mammals do not naturally recover neural tissue, leading to damaged tissue and permanent loss of function. Fish have the capacity to regenerate their tissue after injury. Our project has been exploring the regenerative capabilities of goldfish. We aim to fabricate an injectable hydrogel to overcome neuron loss, promote axonal growth, initiates tissue regeneration, and restore functional recovery. Work in Progress

RP58 is a transcription factor that prevents development of brain diseases. Calcium imaging allows the study specific neurons across different areas of the brain in freely behaving mice. The deletion of RP58 is involved in the progress of glioma and brain changes. In this project, we aim to evaluate the role of the deletion of RP58 gene over a long-term and analyze how functional connectivity, analysis of coordinated activity patterns among brain regions, appears across the whole cortex in Thy1-GCaMP6f mice (mice that expresses fluorescence light to excitatory cells.). Work in Progress

This study is a collaborative project that investigates the use of Hydroset cranioplasty as a preventive measure for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks after endoscopic skull base surgery, specifically in cases of suprasellar meningiomas and craniopharyngiomas. We compared 20 patients treated with Hydroset to 50 control patients who did not receive this treatment. The results indicate that Hydroset patients had a lower incidence of CSF leaks (5% vs. 12%) and a reduced need for CSF diversion. The duration of diversion was similar between the two groups. We report the early results that Hydroset may contribute to better CSF leak control without significant complications, although larger studies are needed for statistical confirmation.

Work in Progress

The purpose of this research was to examine and to determine the concentrations of Ephedrine and Methylhexanamine in weight loss supplements. Results were obtained using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H-NMR), and Atmospheric solids analysis probe mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS). Ephedrine and methylhexanamine are compounds that have been banned by the FDA due to their toxicity and negative side effects on human beings. However, many weight loss supplements still contain these compounds because they act as appetite suppressants and block the absorption of carbohydrates and fat. During this study, I extracted the target compounds from the weight loss supplements, purified them, and finally analyzed them using the methods described above. Our results showed minimal concentrations of ephedrine and methylhexanamine in the samples analyzed; however, we found higher concentrations of caffeine and other organic compounds. We concluded that while Ephedrine and Methylhexanamine concentrations were below the threshold, the amount of caffeine in the weight loss supplements should be regulated.

Detecting latent bloodstains under painted walls is of significant importance in forensic investigations and crime scene analysis. This process involves identifying traces of blood that are not visible to the naked eye, which could provide crucial evidence in solving crimes or providing closure in cases involving suspicious or violent incidents. Our researched impacted the forensic science community by promoting a better understanding of the capabilities of Bluestar ™ in presumptively detecting the presence of human blood under up to twelve layers of three commonly sold paint/primer in common retail stores throughout the United States. Work presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and published at the International Association for Identification News.