Overview

The laboratory seeks to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying injury and repair in the nervous system. There are four major disease areas: spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The lab studies these conditions using state-of-the-art technology that includes genetic epidemiology, model systems, cell and molecular biology and multiple forms of imaging.

The laboratory also develops and leads clinical trials using cell-based therapy and tissue engineering approaches to treating neurological disease. This is facilitated by extensive collaborations with the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) and the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics.

Dr. Windebank's lab research includes repair and regeneration after peripheral nerve or spinal cord injury, treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the mechanism of neuronal cell death caused by chemotherapeutic agents. His laboratory coordinates the research activities of a multidisciplinary team, with specialists from neuroscience, biochemistry and molecular biology, physiology and biomedical engineering, neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedics, and the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Affiliations

Research groups and programs affiliated with the Regenerative Neurobiology Lab at Mayo Clinic include: