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Loyola University Medical Center is an academic
institution with a
strong commitment to research and improving patient care. The
Department of Neurological Surgery encourages its staff to be
actively involved in developing research protocols so that through
the research process we can learn to better manage the complex
neurological pathologies our patients face. Our Spinal Cord Injury
Repair Lab is investigating novel treatments for repair of the
injured spinal cord and has elicited some promising results. We are
very excited for the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of the
scientific community and welcome applicants who are interested in joining our
team.
Current Research Projects include:
Investigator:
Russ P
Nockels, MD
Robert Wurster, PhD
Investigators:
Russ P Nockels, MD
Robert Wurster, PhD
Investigators:
Russ P Nockels, MD
Dr. Wurster’s research activities are in 2
main areas of neuroscience: neuroprosthetics and neurophysiology. His research
in neuroprosthetics, i.e., designing and testing devices to assist or replace
the functions mediated or controlled by nerves, is largely done in
collaboration with laboratories in Hines Veterans Hospital which is next to
Loyola’s Medical Center. These studies involve testing implanted microcomputer
devices for the control of respiration and bladder function, e.g., in spinal
injury patients and some patients with multiple sclerosis or stroke. The complex
electronic circuits, which are capable of sensing and stimulating neural
function, are in tiny capsules about 1 inch long and 1/8 inch in diameter. Other
interests in neuroprosthetics include applications for repair and prosthetic
control of the face, e.g., in the cases of facial nerve injury from acoustic
neuromas, and the possible use of these applications for hand control as well.
His third major area of research takes place in his neurophysiological
laboratory in the Physiology Department and involves patch-clamp and
intracellular recordings of neuronal and synaptic functions in autonomic
ganglia. Currently, this laboratory is studying how neuronal growth factors from
autonomic effector organs in pathological conditions, e.g., from the heart in
cardiac myopathy, can bring about pathological changes in the morphological,
neurochemical and neurophysiological properties of the neurons innervating these
effector organs and thereby further impair effector organ function. The spinal
cord injury (SCI) research also continues to expand. A continued area of
interest is in the use of implantation into the spinal cord injury site of stem
cells that have been genetically modified to produce and release growth factors.
Dr. Wurster has recently explored the use of electrical stimulation to activate
skeletal muscle in order to facilitate recovery from SCI. Plans are underway to
explore the mechanisms involved using cellular and molecular biological tools.
Other Resources
Loyola Stritch School of Medicine
Map and Directions to Loyola
Area Map of LUHS Facilities
NEUROSURGERY://ON-CALL®
American Brain Tumor Association
Think First Foundation
Chicago Area Information on the WWW |
