Dr. Andrew Tan

Biography

My research interests focus on spinal cord injury (SCI) pathology, particularly the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain and spastic movement disorders. The long-term goal is to identify and assess novel targets and strategies to help restore normal function following SCI. I hope these efforts will eventually lead to effective and safe clinical therapies. As the Principal Investigator (PI) on federal awards and privately funded grants, I have applied my expertise toward managing and executing a broad range of projects and developed strong collaborations with domestic and international teams. I am also the Associate Director of the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research at the West Haven VA Medical Center, where I currently supervise a wonderful team of students, postdocs, and junior faculty within the SCI/D research program. My published research has utilized in vitro and in vivo approaches, including a combination of anatomical analyses, behavioral assessment, viral-based gene therapy, and whole-animal electrophysiological techniques. Over the past decade, my team has laid the groundwork demonstrating that maladaptive dendritic spine remodeling of nociceptive and motor reflex circuits underlies SCI-induced hyperexcitability disorders such as neuropathic pain and spasticity.

Research Interests

Experience