Brown Scholar Theresa Tran won 1st place at the Houston Methodist MAPTA Summer Symposium Poster Presentation at the conclusion of the 10-week Houston Methodist Summer Undergraduate Research Internship among 75+ interns.
Theresa’s research in the Horner Lab investigated the use of ventral spinal stimulation (VSS) in rats to improve motor function after spinal cord injury. Her research showed that the immediate gene Nr4a1 was expressed 5x more in the neuronal stimulated group vs. the control group which potentially means increased neuron plasticity and improvement in neuronal spinal cord pathways with increased susceptibility to regrowth after receiving VSS.
VSS therapy is intended for use in clinical care settings to advance the quality of life and independence of individuals with paralysis.