Research Associate Professor
Adjunct (Drexel's Dept of Bioscience & Biotechnology
and Sch. of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health
Systems)
Behavioral Assessment of Recovery of Function from Spinal
Cord Injury
My research interests forge an integrated linkage between the fields of developmental molecular neurobiology, computerized neuroimaging, and behavioral pharmacology. My primary research in collaboration with Drs. Marion Murray, Itzhak Fischer, Alan Tessler, and John Houle is in behavioral assessment of recovery of function from spinal cord injury. We are examining the interaction between pharmacologic stimulation, rehabilitation training, and cellular transplants as combined intervention strategies to improve recovery of function in our rat spinal injury model. My secondary area of research involves a collaboration with Drs Barry Waterhouse and Jonathan Nissanov to study the effects of Ritalin on the neurobiology of sustained attention in rats.
Biography
Swarthmore College, BA Biochemistry, 1986
Havard University, 1987
University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D. Pharmacological
Sciences (Neuropsychopharmacology), 1993
Selected Publications
Shumsky, J.S.; Kao, T.; Amato, N.; Simansky, K.; Murray, M.; Moxon, K.A. (2005) Partial 5-HT1A receptor agonist activity by the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB 206,553 is revealed in rats spinalized as neonates. Exp Neurol. 191:361-365.
Schwartz, E.D.; Chin, C.-L.; Shumsky, J.S.; Jawad, A.F.l Brown, B.K.; Wehrli, S.; Tessler, A.; Murray, M.; Hackney, D.B. (2005) Apparent diffusion coefficients in spinal cord transplants and surroundling white matter correlate with degree of axonal dieback after injury in rats. Am. J. Neuroradiol. 26:7-18.
Tobias, C.A.; Han, S.W.; Shumsky, J.S.; Kim, D.; Tumolo, M.; Dhoot, N.O.; Wheatley, M.A.; Fischer, I.; Tessler, A.; Murray, M. (2005) Alginate encapsulated BDNF-producing fibroblast grafts permit recovery of function after spinal cord injury in the absence of immune suppression. J. Neurotrauma 22:138-156.
Schwartz, E.D.; Shumsky, J.S.; Wehrli, S.; Tessler, A.; Murray, M.; Hackney, D.B. (2003) Ex vivo MR determined apparent diffusion coefficients correlate with motor recovery mediated by intraspinal transplants of fibroblasts genetically modified to secrete BDNF. Exp Neurol 182:49-63.
Hayashi, Y.; Jacob, S.; Nothias, J.; Murray, M.; Simansky, K.; Shumsky, J.S. (2003) Distribution of serotonergic fibers, 5-HT transporter, and 5-HT2C receptors in lumbar cord correlates with degree of motor function following various spinal cord injuries. Soc Neurosci Abstr 29
Tobias, C.A.; Shumsky, J.S.; Shibata, M.; Tuszynski, M.H.; Fischer, I.; Tessler, A.; Murray, M. (2003) Delayed grafting of BDNF and NT-3 producing fibroblasts into the injured spinal cord stimulates sprouting, partially rescues axotomized red nucleus neurons from loss and atrophy and provides limited regeneration. Exp. Neurol 184:97-113.
Shumsky, J.S.; Tobias, C.A.; Tumolo, M.; Giszter, S.F.; Murray, M. (2003) Delayed transplantation of fibroblasts genetically modified to secrete BDNF and NT-3 into a spinal cord injury site is associated with limited recovery of function. Exp Neurol 184:114-130.
Shumsky, J.S., Baynard, M.D., Nissanov, J. (2000) Dissociation of vigilance states during performance in a sustained attention procedure. Soc Neurosci Abstr 26:2224.