1) Modeling neurodegeneration and network dysfunction using human stem cell-derived neural organoids.
2) Testing optimized approaches for cellular brain implantation.
Associate Professor of Neuroscience in Neurological Surgery
The Krencik lab’s goals are to understand how human astrocytes orchestrate neural network function and then harness this knowledge to devise innovative cellular therapeutics.
Our aim is to accelerate progress towards promoting neuroregeneration in the human brain by understanding the functional relationship between human neurons and astrocytes in normal and dysfunctional states. We employ innovative research techniques including human pluripotent stem cell-based neural organoid cultures, genetic encoded tools, biomaterials, and cellular transplantation therapy in the context of neuropathology, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, to answer vital questions using rigorous neuroscience approaches.
Our research laboratory is located within a relatively unique and ideal clinical environment for daily interactions with functional neurosurgeons to inform on the relevance and translational potential of our findings. We are dedicated to pursuing public engagement and collaborative research interactions with the scientific community.
Figure 1.
Biography
Dr. Krencik received his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he devised the first cellular system for the efficient generation and transplantation of human astrocyte subtypes from pluripotent stem cells. To understand how human astrocyte dysfunction influences synaptic networks in diseased states, he conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California-San Francisco. In 2017, he became a faculty member in the Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery Department as well as the Department of Neurosurgery and Center for Neuroregeneration at Houston Methodist.
Zinger, A., Cvetkovic, C., Sushnitha, M., Naoi, T., Baudo, G., Anderson, M., Shetty, A., Basu, N., Covello, J., Tasciotti, E., Amit, M., Xie, T., Taraballi, F., & Krencik, R. Humanized Biomimetic Nanovesicles for Neuron Targeting.Advanced Science. 2021
