Research is the tool to develop better therapies to optimize patient outcomes. At the University of Pittsburgh, we are conducting both basic science experiments and well as human clinical trials to develop novel treatments for our patients with cerebrovascular disease.
The Neuroapoptosis Laboratory under the direction of Robert M. Friedlander, MD, has been a leader in the understanding of the mechanisms leading to the death of cells in the brain following a variety of insults, including stroke, head trauma and spinal cord injury. As we understand how cells die, we can develop novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of these often devastating diseases.
By recognizing this relationship, neurosurgeons and intensive care physicians can try to reduce the negative effects of such events thus increasing an individual's chance for a normal neurologic and systemic outcome.