My research interests are currently focused on the study of the effects of exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on vascular growth, blood-brain barrier function and astrocyte activation following CNS injury or ischemia, including development of optimal methods for delivery of these angiogenic factors. I am exploring the role of VEGF as a possible inducer of astrocyte reactivity in vitro and in vivo and its function as a potential neuronal maturation factor and neural progenitor cell proliferation/differentiation factor in fetal and neonatal neocortical explants.
