The McAllister Hydrocephalus Lab
Our lab maintains a comprehensive interdisciplinary research program whose ultimate goal is to improve clinical treatments for hydrocephalus, a prevalent form of traumatic brain injury caused by failure to absorb cerebrospinal fluid. This program continues to explore the cellular and physiological neuropathology associated with neonatal, infantile and adult hydrocephalus and focuses on neuroinflammation, non-invasive neuroimaging (MRI and diffusion tensor imaging), pharmacological strategies for neuroprotection and recovery of function, and clinical evaluations of patient outcome and new treatment applications. Our multidisciplinary approach also includes biomedical engineering improvements in the design of cerebrospinal fluid drainage systems (shunts), development of implantable sensors, and the biocompatibility of neural prostheses. Our lab creates an interface between basic research and clinical applications, and thus trains graduate students as well as neurosurgery residents. We maintain active collaborations with investigators at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard University, and the University of California Los Angeles.