Under Pressure (Episode 129)
Guest: Chase Cornelison
Today we are talking with Dr. Chase Cornelison, an Assistant Professor in the department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Chase brings his unique perspective as a chemical and biomolecular engineer to the problem of spinal cord injury.
The Cornelison lab investigates how the process of cancer proliferation can be harnessed for neuro-regeneration and how understanding fluid dynamics in the spinal cord after trauma could be essential in tissue preservation. Our discussion today focuses on the latter topic, specifically how the pressure gradients in the cord, formed after injury, can affect injury severity in the days following trauma.
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Bumper music: Dig a Hole by Freaque
Guest Bios
Dr. Chase Cornelison is an Assistant Professor in the newly established department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His dissertation work with Dr. Christine Schmidt focused on developing an injectable, decellularized nerve hydrogel for spinal cord injury repair. His postdoctoral studies were at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech with Dr. Jennifer Munson, investigating the role of interstitial fluid flow in brain cancer progression. Currently, he leads the Neural Microenvironment and (onco)Regeneration group, studying how the cellular, extracellular, and biophysical microenvironment influence neural cell function in the contexts of cancer and trauma. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop new therapeutic strategies and biomaterials to promote neural tissue preservation, regeneration, and functional recovery after pathologies such as cancer, neurodegenerative disease, and traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Dr. Cornelison currently has an NIH Trailblazer award to support his group’s work in this area, and he recently won the Young Investigator Award from the journal Cells Tissues Organs for a related manuscript.
Connect with Chase Cornelison here:
- Email: rcornelison@umass.edu
- Website: University of Massachusetts Amhurst - College of Engineering
- LinkedIn: Chase Cornelison
Related Articles
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This University of Massachusetts article on Dr. Chase Cornelison describes his work to harness the proliferating power of cancer cells to treat brain and spinal cord injuries and restore function of the central nervous system.
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