2025 Seed Grant
Elizabeth Crouch, MD., Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco
This research project aims to understand how blood vessels and brain cells work together in newborn babies. In very premature infants, fragile brain blood vessels can break and cause bleeding in a part of the brain called the germinal matrix. This condition, called germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH), can lead to serious problems like cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, or hydrocephalus. Right now, there are no good treatments. Our lab studies special vascular support cells called pericytes that help control blood flow in the brain, a process called neurovascular coupling. We think that neurovascular coupling is not fully developed in premature babies and this could contribute to hemorrhage. Using new tools like stem cell models and advanced imaging, we will study neurovascular coupling during development in the human brain. Our goal is to find out how to protect brain blood vessels in premature babies and develop better treatments for brain injuries caused by early birth.
