Faculty members involved in Neuropathology include Drs. Allan Yates, Abhik Ray-Chaudhury, and Carl Boesel. Division of Neuropathology faculty members are responsible for examining all neurological specimens (surgical and autopsy) from the OSU Medical Center. The surgical cases include specimens from the eye and orbit in addition to general neurosurgical specimens. Several specimens each year are also received from other hospitals, mainly in central Ohio, and the Coroner's Office on a consultation basis. The division participates in the weekly multidisciplinary Neuro-Oncology Tumor Board. Neuropathology faculty members assemble self-teaching materials for neuropathology. This resource is a tremendous benefit to students at all levels. Currently it includes general reviews of all major areas in neuropathology as well as approximately 100 complete teaching cases with clinical history, images of gross and microscopic pathology, and glass slides. Journals and books continue to be added to the library. Dr. Ray-Chaudhury has been awarded an Ohio Sate University Davis/Bremer grant recently on his proposal entitled The Demyelination/Remyelination Process in CD24 Transgenic Mice. Researchers in the Division of Neuropathology include Drs. James Van Brocklyn, James Waldman, and Joanne Trgovcich. Under Dr. James Van Brocklyn’s direction his group continues to investigate the effects of sphingolipids on human gliomas. They have found that high expression levels of the enzyme sphingosine kinase, which forms the bioactive lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), correlates with short survival time of glioblastoma patients. Evidence indicates that this is due to stimulation of both cellular proliferation and invasiveness by S1P signaling through its G protein-coupled receptors. Ongoing investigations continue to explore the roles of sphingolipids in glioma growth, invasion, and angiogenesis as well as in glioma stem cells. Recently, Dr. Van Brocklyn has been awarded an RO21 grant from the National Cancer Institute on this topic, starting in July, 2008. The Division of Neuropathology is very active in collaborative research on glioma biology with Drs. Antonio Chiocca and his group from the Department of Neurosurgery, Drs. Herbert Newton and Robert Cavaliere from the Department of Neurology, Dr. Carlo Croce from the Department of Human Cancer Genetics and Dr. William Carson from the Department of Surgery. Areas of study include expression analysis of micro RNA in primary brain tumors and clinical trials involving therapeutic modalities to treat brain tumors.