Center for Addiction Research

Tiffany Dunn grew up in Tian jin China, where she received her Bachelor's degree from Nankai University, in China in 1982. Ms. Dunn worked as a Japanese translator for Canon Company in Tianjin, China from 1982 to 1987. From 1987 to 1996, she worked as an instructor and teacher for the Department of Chinese Painting at Nankai University in China. From 2001 to 2003 she worked as an animal attendant at the Animal Resource Center at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. She is currently working as a Research Associate in the Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology under the direction of Dr. Ping Wu.

Ms. Dunn's research is focused on human neural stem cell and rat, mice spinal cord injury, where she uses Western Blotting and Histological Technique, Immunohistochemistry, Immunofluoresence and Molecular Biology Techniques . She also oversees animal Care and animal behaviors, as well as maintaining the laboratory and training Dr. Wu Lab students for Wu's lab techniques.

• B.A., , Nankai University, Tianjin, China

Publications
Published in journal of Neurotrauma 29:295-312( JANUARY 20,2012) Molecular mechanisms Underlying Effects of Neural  Stem Cells against Traumatic Axonal Injury.

Published in Plos One August 2011 Volume 6 Issue 8 e23414 Critical Role of PI3K/AKt GsK3B in Motoneurn Specification from Human neural stem Cell in response to FGF2 and EGF.

Published in Am j Stem Cell 2012;1 (1):2-21www.Ajsc.us/IssN: 2160-4150/Ajsc1108002

Original Article

Mutant SOD1 microglia – generated Nitroxidative Stress Promotes Toxicity to Human fetal neural Stem cell-derived motor neurons through direct damage and noxious interactions with astrocytes.

Yan grew up in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, China. He received his Bachelor of Clinical Medicine degree from Shanxi Medical University in 2010, where he was honored with the Excellent Student Leader of Shanxi Province in 2010 and being the Chairman of Student Union during 2005-2010.

Yan entered the Tianjin Medical University 5-year-M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program in 2010 with the major of Orthopedic surgery. In 2013, Yan was honored to be a co-training Ph.D. student supported by China Scholarship Council for 18 months. He is conducting his Ph.D. dissertation research in the Neuroscience & Cell Biology department under the mentorship of Dr. Ping Wu. His research is focused on regulation of endogenous spinal cord neural stem cells and Spinal cord injury.

• M.S., 2010, Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi, China

• 2011, The Certification of Doctor Practicing Qualification, China,
• 2011, The Certification of Frontiers in Stem Cell Research (iPS cells),
• 2012, 2nd Prize at Neuroestoratological Youth Forum of IANRACV Conference,
• 2014, Certificate of Achievement of Mission Connect Symposium,

Publications
Regulating PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT3 Pathways to Induce Motoneuron Differentiation from Human Neural Stem Cells (has been submitted, first author) Minimally Invasive and Selective Lumbar Nerve Root Canal Decompression for Lumbosacral Radiculopathy:Long-term Clinical Outcome from 232 patients (has been submitted, first author ) Wu Q, Li YL, Ning GZ, Feng SQ, Chu TC, Li Y, Hao Y, Wu QL. Epidemiology of traumatic cervical spinal cord injury in Tianjin, China. Spinal Cord. 2012;50(10):740- 744

Javier grew up in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He studied medicine in Monterrey and received his Medical Doctor degree with a concentration area in research from Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) in 2010, where he was honored with the High performance leadership diploma and distinguished final examination. He was a member of the Research and Ethic Committee at Universidad de Monterrey from 2010 to 2011.

Javier was enrolled into the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UTMB in 2013, and is conducting his Ph.D. dissertation research in the Cell Biology Graduate Program and the Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology under the mentorship of Dr. Ping Wu. Currently he is an associate of the Society for Neuroscience Latin America Training Program. His research focuses on elucidating the effects of calcium kinetics on neuronal cytoskeleton after repetitive mild traumatic brain injury, and determining the efficacy of GDNF as a preventive treatment against chronic adverse effects of TBI on cognitive and behavioral outcomes.

• M.D., , Universidad de Monterrey, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

• 2013, Fundación Marrón-Cajiga Scholarship,
• 2014, Outstanding Service Award - First Year Student - UTMB Cell Biology Program,
• 2014, CONACYT-COPOCYT Scholarship,

Publications

Abstracts

Warshawsky B, Allende-Labastida J, Gao J, Dunn TJ and Wu P, (2013) Optimization of a Cell Injury Controller for the Development of an in vitro Model of Mild Traumatic Axonal injury (TAI). Summer Medical Student Research Program Forum, UTMB, Galveston, June 2013.

Hao Y, Gao J, Wang L, Dunn TJ, Allende-Labastida J, Wang J, Hargett GL, Carlton SM, Chung JM, Liu S, Feng S, Wu P (2014) Induced Motor Neuron Differentiation from Endogenous Neural Stem Cells in Mice after Spinal Cord Injury. Mission Connect Symposium, Houston, TX. December 2014.

Wang L, Gao, J, Hao Y, Dunn TJ, McGrath EL, Allende-Labastida J, Feng S, Liu S, Wu P (2014) Neurobasal-A Medium Promotes Neural Stem Cell Differentiation into Oligodendrocyte Lineage by Regulating several Signaling Pathways. Mission Connect Symposium, Houston, TX. December 2014.

Le grew up in Changchun, Jilin province, China. He received his Bachelor of Clinical Medicine degree from Sun Yat-sen University in 2010, where he was honored with the Excellent Volunteer of the Year in 2005 and 2006 and being the Chairman of China Youth Volunteer Association of SYSU North Campus during 2006-2008.

Le entered the SYSU 5-year-M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program in 2010 with the major of Orthopedic surgery. In 2013, Le was honored to be a co-training Ph.D. student supported by China Scholarship Council for 17 months. He is conducting his Ph.D. dissertation research in the Neuroscience & Cell Biology department under the mentorship of Dr. Ping Wu. His research is focused on regulation of differentiation of neural stem cells to oligodendrocytes

• M.S., , Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China

• 2013, 3rd Chinese Rehabilitation Medical Association CSM Forum Best Paper Award,
• 2014, Certificate of Achievement of Mission Connect Symposium FIrst Prize in SCI,

Publications
Can Modified Kurokawa's Double-door Laminoplasty Reduce the Incidence of Axial Symptoms at Long-term Follow-up?: A Prospective Study of 152 Patients with Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy. J Spinal Disord Tech. 2015 Jan 21. First author

Early administration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonist promotes survival of transplanted neural stem cells and axon myelination after spinal cord injury in rats. Brain Research 1575 (2014) 87–100. First author