“Microglia regulate intraspinal and systemic neuro-immune cross-talk after spinal cord injury”
This presentation will provide a background on the problem of spinal cord injury (SCI) and then will focus on the divergent effects of intraspinal inflammation. Since intraspinal inflammation is a complex topic involving many cells and molecular pathways, this talk will focus entirely on intraspinal myeloid cells– specifically microglia (and to a lesser extent, monocyte-derived macrophages). Data will be presented to emphasize two key but divergent effects of SCI-induced microglia “activation”: (1) the role that microglia play in regulating intracellular communication at the lesion epicenter to influence indices of tissue repair and recovery of motor function, and (2): the role that microglia play in controlling “maladaptive plasticity” in lesion remote areas (i.e., several segments below the level of injury).  Specifically, data will show how microglia cause structural remodeling of the injured spinal cord and how these changes adversely affect spinal reflex control of peripheral organ function(s).

Dr. Popovich holds the Ray W. Poppleton Research Designated Endowed Chair and serves as a professor in Ohio State’s Department of Neuroscience. 

A link to his research publications and Google Scholar profile can be found at: (https://medicine.osu.edu/find-faculty/non-clinical/neuroscience/phillip-popovich-phd)

Speaker 
Phillip Popovich, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience
Executive Director, Belford Center for Spinal Cord Injury
The Ohio State University College of Medicine