The National Stem Cell Foundation partnered with the National MS Society to support the work of Dr. Regina Armstrong at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.
Dr. Armstrong is finding ways to induce myelin repair by working with a molecule called “Sonic Hedgehog” known to multiply cell division and increase the number of myelin-making cells. Myelin is the insulation around nerve fibers that allows the brain to transmit electrical impulses to the rest of the body.
If successful, this research may lead to therapies that will improve symptoms and restore function for people with MS and children with inherited demyelinating disorders that are fatal in childhood.
Biography:
Dr. Armstrong graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester, and received her PhD in Neurobiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Armstrong’s research has been funded through peer-reviewed competitive awards from the NIH, the National Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, and the Department of Defense.