E. Antonio Chiocca, M.D., Ph.D.

Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery Dardinger Family Professor of Oncologic Neurosurgery Physician Director, OSUMC Neuroscience Signature Program Co-Director, Dardinger Center for Neuro-Oncology and Neurosciences Co-Director, Viral Oncology Program of the Comprehensive Cancer Center N-1021 Doan Hall 410 W. 10th Avenue Columbus, OH 43210 Phone  (614) 293-9312 Email: E.Chiocca@osumc.edu
MAJOR RESEARCH INTERESTS • Biologic therapies and applications to disorders of the central nervous system • Functional genomics in brain tumors • Immune responses to gene delivery vehicles DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH Biologic advances increasingly enable major technological innovations in the treatment of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Stem cell biology, interactions between viral and tumor cell life cycles, and definition of gene expression profiles in tumors represent fields of research for possible therapy. Currently active research areas include: 1) engineering more efficient "tumor-killing" vectors 2) finding and testing novel prodrug/gene therapy strategies 3) defining more selective oncolytic viruses 4) characterizing the ability of bone marrow stem cells to “transdifferentiate” into tumor blood vessels or neurons in response to environmental stimuli 5) defining the role of the immune response in vector delivery of therapeutic molecules in tumors and in animal models of cerebral ischemia 6) developing models of gene transfer to ameliorate cerebrovascular ischemia; and 7) conducting functional genomic studies of neurodegenerative disease using our iBAC system