Dr. Deng Welcomes Drs. Phil Popovich and Dana McTigue for a Seminar at the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute

We were honored to host Dr. Phil Popovich and Dr. Dana McTigue for a joint seminar, “From Remodeling of Intraspinal Circuitry to Systemic Metabolic Imbalance: Understanding Dysautonomia in SCI.”

Dr. Popovich, University Distinguished Professor, Chair of Neuroscience, and Director of the Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Repair at The Ohio State University, is a pioneer in neuroimmunology whose work has reshaped understanding of how SCI disrupts autonomic regulation of immunity, driving inflammation, infection susceptibility, and impaired repair.

Dr. McTigue, Professor of Neuroscience, Associate Dean for Foundational Research, and Belford Family Endowed Chair in Spinal Cord Injury at Ohio State, leads influential studies on oligodendrocyte progenitor–mediated repair and remyelination, as well as systemic effects of SCI on peripheral organs such as the liver and bladder.

Supported by sustained NIH funding, their complementary research programs highlight how intraspinal circuit remodeling and systemic immune-metabolic changes intersect, opening new therapeutic avenues to improve outcomes after SCI.