Neural Transplant and Neurobehavior Program

Dr. Eugene Redmond, Jr., MD , Director
Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosurgery
Yale University School of Medicine

The Neural Transplant and Neurobehavior Program is the component of the Yale Department of Psychiatry that researches cellular and viral repair strategies for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. The division has an illustrious history, having been among the first groups to use fetal mesencephalic grafts in parkinsonian primates.

Current approaches to neural replacement and repair include the transplantation of fetal tissue, gene delivery using regulatable viral vectors, administration of trophic factors, and the use of embryonic and adult-derived neural stem cells in animal models of Parkinson's disease and other CNS disorders. The Program is composed of a group of scientists from several disciplines that collaborate on all aspects of these approaches, including the study of donor tissue (neurodevelopment and apoptosis) and host responses (anatomical connectivity, biochemical changes, immunobiology and behavior). Investigative tools include graft harvest, stem cell isolation, neurosurgical techniques, viral vector design, immunosuppression techniques, pharmacological manipulations, sensitive neurochemical assays, advanced histological techniques, multiphoton and electron microscopy, and quantitative analyses of spontaneous and conditioned behaviors.

The considerable resources of the Yale University School of Medicine and collaborators from other institutions are brought to bear on these multidisciplinary projects. The ultimate goal of the division is to effect repair of the damaged CNS, and to move potential therapies into clinical trials.

Interested students, faculty, or fellows are welcomed to contact Joanne Simiola at 785-4432 for further information regarding the program.