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Frank A. Welsh, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry in Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery/Biochemistry & Biophysics
School of Medicine
371 Stemmler Hall/6070
(215) 662-7925 Fax: (215) 349-8157
email: fwelsh@mail.med.upenn.edu
For more about the Welsh lab: http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/neursurg/Faculty/welsh.html
Click here for selected publications since Dr. Welsh's arrival at Penn
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Molecular mechanisms of ischemic brain damage. Therapy for cerebral ischemia.
Role of stress proteins in the cellular defense against ischemia. Development
of RNA therapy to overexpress specific proteins in the brain. RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Rodent models of cerebral ischemia and spreading depression; histology; immunohistochemistry; quantitative microassay; molecular biology (in situ hybridization; Northern blot, Western blot, RT-PCR, gene transfer); laser-Doppler flowmetry, histopathology.RESEARCH SUMMARY
The brain is extremely vulnerable to ischemia. Loss of blood flow for only a few minutes triggers pathologic cascades that culminate in the death of the most vulnerable neurons. However, recent studies have demonstrated that this vulnerability can be dramatically reduced by preconditioning the brain with brief ischemia or cortical spreading depression. These results indicate that there are intrinsic mechanisms that protect neurons against ischemia. The objective of the lab is to identify those mechanisms and to explore therapeutic modalities based on them. In addition, the lab is developing RNA vectors to overexpress selected proteins in the brain.
KEY WORDS:
Cerebral Ischemia, Neuronal Death, Stress Proteins, Cortical Spreading Depression, RNA therapy.
The Welsh Lab
