Nina is a senior at Duke pursuing double majors in Neuroscience and German. Broadly, she is interested in novel treatments for neurological injuries and disorders, particularly to regain motor function. She has worked in the Faw Lab since 2021 and was a 2023 Duke Summer Neuroscience Program Fellowship recipient. She was also a 2022 NeuroSURP (Neuroscience Summer Undergraduate Research Program) scholar at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where she investigated the effects of astrocyte Ca2+ signaling on the motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease.
In the Faw Lab, Nina is investigating the potential of CN-105 as a treatment for spinal cord injury, particularly in the context of neuroinflammation and neuroplasticity. In her free time, Nina plays clarinet in the Duke University Wind Symphony, reads books, and goes on walks!
Key Publications
Lewis NE, Tabarestani TQ, Cellini BR, Zhang N, Marrotte EJ, Wang H, Laskowitz DT, Abd-El-Barr MM, Faw TD (2022). Effect of Acute Physical Interventions on Pathophysiology and Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Neurospine 19(3):671-686. https://doi.org/10.14245/ns.2244476.238. PMID: 36203293
Tabarestani TQ, Lewis NE, Kelly-Hedrick M, Zhang N, Cellini BR, Marrotte EJ, Williams T, Wang H, Laskowitz DT, Faw TD, Abd-El-Barr MM (2022). Surgical considerations to improve recovery in acute spinal cord injury. Neurospine 19(3):689-702. https://doi.org/10.14245/ns.2244616.308. PMID: 36203295
Presentations
Faw TD, Wang H, Cantillana V, Neehouse MS, Zhang N, Cellini BR, Shifrin V, Van Eldik LJ, Laskowitz DT. Novel small-molecule therapeutic improves functional outcomes after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Abstract, Gordon Research Conference: Central Nervous System Injury and Repair; Lucca, Italy; July 9-14, 2023.
Zhang N, Neehouse MS, Wang H, Cantillana V, Shifrin V, Van Eldik LJ, Laskowitz DT, Faw TD. Novel small-molecule drug candidate improves functional outcomes after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Duke Summer Research Showcase, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences Summer Neuroscience Program; Durham, NC; July 28, 2023.