Chen Lab

Translational Therapies for Spinal Cord Injury

Developing innovative treatments to improve quality of life for people with spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders.

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Latest News & Updates

PublicationAug 2025

Paper accepted in Journal of Neuroscience

Sensory deficits in mice with lateral spinal cord hemisection mimic the Brown-Séquard syndrome was accepted for publication.

NewsOct 2024

UTMB researchers target improved locomotor functions in spinal cord injury

Using bumetanide, a diuretic drug already approved by the FDA, researchers at UTMB protected excitatory neurons from damage caused by long-term swelling in spinal cord injuries.

AwardAug 2024

Joseph Sandoval awarded Craig H. Neilsen Foundation funding

Undergraduate researcher Joseph Sandoval received funding from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to support his computational locomotion analysis research.

AwardFeb 2025

Chen Lab awarded Team Science Pilot Program grant

Mobility Aging Clock project funded by UTMB's inaugural Team Science Pilot Program in collaboration with Dr. Shih-Chiao Tseng.

PublicationDec 2024

Book chapter published in Neuroimmune Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Regenerative and repair strategies for the central nervous system: Progress in basic and clinical research on spinal cord injury.

AwardNov 2024

Chen Lab trainees win awards at Mission Connect Symposium

Wei Li won 1st place in the SCI Postdoc/Fellow category and Melissa Henwood won 2nd place in the SCI Graduate Student category at the Dr. Robert G. Grossman Mission Connect Scientific Symposium.

PublicationSep 2024

Publication in Science Translational Medicine

Reduction of prolonged excitatory neuron swelling after spinal cord injury improves locomotor recovery in mice.

AwardMay 2023

Alfredo Sandoval wins Dr. and Mrs. Seymour Fisher Academic Excellence Award

MD-PhD student Alfredo Sandoval received the Dr. and Mrs. Seymour Fisher Academic Excellence Award in Neuroscience for his work on light sheet imaging.

Our Focus

Our research targets the challenges that matter most to people living with spinal cord injury

Featured Publication

2024Published

Reduction of prolonged excitatory neuron swelling after spinal cord injury improves locomotor recovery in mice

Science Translational Medicine, 16, eadn7095.

PublisherPubMed

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