RESEARCH INTERESTS
1. Non-coding RNAs (microRNAs, circRNAs etc) and Regulation of Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Function
Alterations in BBB integrity during inflammation are critical events in brain injury and neurodegeneration. Strategies that restore BBB function could significantly improve neurological outcomes. This project investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory and BBB-protective properties of specific non-coding RNAs. Using primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs) and a novel in vivo model of neuroinflammation, the study aims to define microRNA-mediated signaling pathways that preserve BBB integrity and attenuate neurovascular damage.
2. Leukocyte–Endothelium Interactions in Neuroinflammation
Disruption of the BBB and leukocyte infiltration are hallmark features of numerous neurological and systemic inflammatory disorders, including multiple sclerosis, infectious encephalitis, vascular dementia, epilepsy, and stroke. This research explores the mechanisms governing leukocyte adhesion to, and transmigration across, the brain endothelium. The project focuses on identifying molecular targets that regulate leukocyte–endothelial interactions, with the goal of developing therapeutic strategies to mitigate neuroinflammatory injury and vascular dysfunction.
3. Effects of Drugs of Abuse on Cerebrovascular Endothelium
Addictive stimulants such as cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, alcohol and synthetic cathinones (“bath salts”) exert long-lasting toxic effects on the central nervous system (CNS). This project investigates how these substances, alone or in the context of HIV-1 infection, induce oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, BBB impairment, and glial activation. The study proposes a novel mechanistic framework in which drug-mediated oxidative stress exerts cell-specific effects on microglia, astrocytes, pericytes and endothelial cells, amplifying neuroinflammation and injury. Using both in vitro and in vivo models, the work seeks to delineate therapeutic approaches targeting these convergent pathways.
4. Effects of Cannabinoids on Neural Stem Cells and Neuroinflammation
Cannabinoids exert complex effects on neural stem cell biology and neuroimmune signaling. This project investigates how endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids influence neural stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival under inflammatory and injury-related conditions. Using in vitro stem cell culture systems and in vivo models of neuroinflammation, the study examines cannabinoid receptor–mediated pathways that regulate neurogenesis, glial activation, and cytokine release. The goal is to elucidate how cannabinoid signaling modulates neuroregeneration and to identify therapeutic opportunities for targeting neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders.
5. Biomarker Discovery, Immune Profiling, and Assay Development for Neuroinflammatory and Neurodegenerative Disorders.
This research focuses on identifying molecular and cellular biomarkers that reflect endothelial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) compromise. Using integrated transcriptomic, proteomic, and immunoassay-based approaches (ELISA, MSD, multiplex bead arrays), together with multi-parameter flow cytometry for immune profiling, this work aims to uncover circulating and tissue-resident signatures predictive of disease progression or therapeutic response. Parallel efforts include developing and validating quantitative assays for biomarker detection, standardizing immune phenotyping workflows, and applying these methods to translational models of traumatic brain injury, stroke, PTSD and neurodegenerative disease.
EDUCATION
PhD from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
MBA from Fox School of Business, Temple University