The lab is one part of the Spinal Cord Damage Research Center, which is located at the James J Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. Work in the lab focuses on several biological questions:
- What is the molecular mechanism responsible for the poor functional recovery of individuals who harbor one or two copies of the apolipoprotein E4 variant of human apolipoprotein E?
- What is the therapeutic potential of orally active small molecules to improve outcomes after spinal cord injury?
- What molecular mechanisms explain connexin-mediated cross-talk between paralyzed skeletal muscle and the nervous system after spinal cord injury?
- What is the molecular basis for the requirement in skeletal muscle fibers of the adaptor protein Numb for optimal cytoskeletal organization and contractile function and is age-related loss of Numb protein a contributing factor to loss of muscle power in sarcopenia?
Ongoing experiments in the lab are seeking to answer these questions using pharmacologic and molecular biological approaches in rodent and cell culture systems. A drug-development effort is ongoing to translate the exciting finding that an orally active, naturally occurring compound that blocks open connexin hemichannels improves functional outcomes after SCI.
The lab collaborates with investigators within and outside the United States. Those interested in a potential collaboration or a position in the lab should contact Dr. Cardozo (christopher.cardozo@mssm.edu).