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James Waschek is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at UCLA. His research focuses on a range of topics including central nervous system development, degeneration, and injury repair. His laboratory is particularly interested in brain tumor pathogenesis and neuroinflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis and maternal inflammation-induced perinatal white matter disease. He has made significant contributions to understanding the biological roles of neuropeptides, especially related peptides like vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). His current research efforts aim to investigate the impact of neuropeptides on immune mechanisms, particularly in relation to astrocytes and microglia. Waschek's lab has developed neuropeptide-deficient reporter mice and utilizes transgenic conditional knockout mouse strains to alter the phenotypes of astrocytes and myeloid cells. His research also applies to pediatric brain tumors, nerve trauma, and conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
Department of Economics admits primarily for the PhD program.