Stem Cell Research for Neurological Diseases | Dr. Piotr Walczak - Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund

Dr. Piotr Walczak, Professor at the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the University of Maryland Baltimore, uses interdisciplinary approaches to study neurological disorders and advance therapeutics by implementing image-guided neuro-interventions. There are more than 600 neurological disorders that pose a major global burden. Dr. Walczak and his lab study several of these disorders including rare ones, such as Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD). The prognosis for people with PMD is poor, with the most severe cases suffering progressive neurological deterioration until death. PMD results from abnormal development of the myelin sheath that serves as the insulating layer of nerve cells. The destruction of protective insulation, a process known as demyelination, is also observed in more frequent neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis or stroke, and this process leads to nerve cell malfunction and disease onset. To address this issue, Dr. Walczak’s strategy is to use