Craig Pearson

Fourth year student in Clinical Neurosciences

Injuries to the spinal cord and optic nerves can cause paralysis and blindness. The failure of these nerve tracts to regenerate is partially due to proteins that accumulate after injury, forming “scars” that seal wounds but also block regenerating nerve fibers. I study an enzyme that modifies the structure of these proteins, making them less inhibitory to nerve cells. In mice with injured optic nerves, delivering this enzyme enables neurons from the eye to grow through the “scar” toward the brain. Administering this enzyme in combination with other treatments could help us regenerate visual and sensory pathways in human patients.

The photo shows Veselina Petrova colecting the award on behalf of Craig Pearson