
S. Thomas Carmichael, M.D., Ph.D.
Bio
As a clinician-scientist, S. Thomas Carmichael, M.D., Ph.D., investigates how the brain recovers after a stroke. By studying the cells and molecules that begin to repair the brain after injury, he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the healing process, which could inform the development of new drugs and cell therapies to promote recovery in patients with stroke and other brain diseases.
Through this research, Carmichael discovered a novel environment in the brain that supports repair and regeneration after stroke by forming new blood vessels and secreting specialized proteins, known as growth factors. These growth factors stimulate neural stem cells to generate new, healthy neurons to replace those that have been damaged. His present work focuses on developing drugs that will influence this environment to further natural recovery following stroke.
Carmichael’s lab is also pursuing a method that would allow scientists and clinicians to influence the survival and fate of the neural stem cells that normally reside in the brain. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop cell therapies that stimulate the brain’s own tissue regeneration after stroke, head injury and other brain diseases. In addition to utilizing stem cells that are found naturally to the brain, the Carmichael lab is investigating the feasibility of transplanting stem or progenitor cells as a method of therapeutic cell replacement therapy to aid in brain repair.
Carmichael received his medical and doctorate degrees from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he completed his neurology residency.
Publications
- Patient-derived glial enriched progenitors repair functional deficits due to white matter stroke and vascular dementia in rodentsPublished in Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, April 21, 2021
- CCR5 Is a Therapeutic Target for Recovery after Stroke and Traumatic Brain InjuryPublished in Cell on Thursday, February 21, 2019
- Nogo receptor blockade overcomes remyelination failure after white matter stroke and stimulates functional recovery in aged micePublished in PNAS on Thursday, October 11, 2018
- Dual-function injectable angiogenic biomaterial for the repair of brain tissue following strokePublished in Nature Materials on Monday, May 21, 2018
- Engineered HA hydrogel for stem cell transplantation in the brain: Biocompatibility data using a design of experiment approachPublished in Data Brief on Friday, February 10, 2017
- Ependymal cell contribution to scar formation after spinal cord injury is minimal, local and dependent on direct ependymal injuryPublished in Scientific Reports on Tuesday, January 24, 2017
- Systematic optimization of an engineered hydrogel allows for selective control of human neural stem cell survival and differentiation after transplantation in the stroke brainPublished in Biomaterials on Tuesday, August 2, 2016
- GDF10 is a signal for axonal sprouting and functional recovery after strokePublished in Nature Neuroscience on Monday, October 26, 2015
- Age-dependent exacerbation of white matter stroke outcomes: a role for oxidative damageand inflammatory mediatorsPublished in Stroke on Thursday, July 18, 2013
- Remodeling of the Axon Initial Segment After Focal Cortical and White Matter StrokePublished in Stroke on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
- A role for ephrin-A5 in axonal sprouting, recovery, and activity-dependent plasticity after strokePublished in PNAS on Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Honors & Affiliations
Honors
- Bernard Sanberg Memorial Award for Brain Repair, American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair, 2018
- Outstanding Clinician-Scientist Award, American Society of Neurorehabilitation, 2009
- Distinguished Scholar Award, Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, 2005
Affiliations
- Director, Adelson Program in Neural Repair and Rehabilitation
- Associate Editor, Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair
- American Neurological Association
- American Academy of Neurology
- Society for Neuroscience
- American Society of Neurorehabilitation
- American Heart Association
Funding
Carmichael’s lab is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the American Heart Association and the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center, including support from the Gillian S. Fuller Foundation.