John Wallingford and Tim George work at different ends of the biomedical-health-care spectrum.
Wallingford is a scientist doing basic research at The University of Texas at Austin. Using frogs and mice as models, he studies how embryos develop and what can go wrong in development. George is a pediatric neuro-surgeon at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. Among his patients are children with birth defects.
The scientist and the surgeon have teamed up to find ways to translate the basic discoveries made in Wallingford’s laboratory for use in George’s examination room.
They want to reduce birth defects, particularly neural tube defects, the second most common class of birth defects behind heart problems. Spina bifida, a condition in which the spine does not close completely, is an NTD.
The work of turning lab discoveries into therapies will take place in the Dell Pediatric Research Institute, where other researchers will work to bridge the distance from Wallingford’s laboratory bench to George’s hospital bedside.
Read more of this story on Tim Green's blog: Further Findings.
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