Dr. Ana Cristancho

Biography

Dr. Ana G. Cristancho is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. She specializes in fetal and neonatal neurology and is committed to understanding the epigenetic mechanisms that drive long-term neurodevelopmental disabilities due to prenatal and perinatal brain injuries. Dr. Cristancho's research focuses on how disruptions during critical stages of early brain development can lead to persistent alterations in brain maturation and function. Her work employs a combination of animal and cell culture models, utilizing multi-omic approaches to gain a multifaceted understanding of complex brain injuries. She is particularly interested in the effects of prenatal hypoxia and the resulting neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. Through advanced techniques like single nucleus RNA-seq and ATAC-seq, she aims to uncover the cellular dynamics that contribute to functional deficits following brain injuries. Dr. Cristancho's clinical expertise and research efforts contribute significantly to the field of neurodevelopmental research, aiming to direct therapies towards these prevalent disorders.

Research Interests

Experience