Shaoping Hou, PhD

The research work of Shaoping Hou, PhD, focuses on the many effects of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), including sensorimotor deficits and autonomic dysfunction, specifically lower urinary tract and cardiovascular dysfunctions. The disruption of supraspinal autonomic pathways creates abnormalities in multiple organ systems including compromised urinary, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, thermoregulatory, and sexual activities. Despite varied symptoms based upon the level and severity of the injury, the loss of descending regulation and subsequent maladaptation in the lower spinal cord underlie disordered autonomic activity after SCI.

Dr. Hou employs multidisciplinary approaches to study these dysfunctions, including neuroanatomical, physiological and cellular and molecular techniques, to elucidate supraspinal and intraspinal neuronal machinery of micturition and hemodynamics in the intact and SCI rat models. Recent findings revealed that spinal endogenous dopaminergic mechanisms regulate the recovered spontaneous bladder reflexes after SCI. Utilizing a variety of strategies, such as neural progenitor cell transplantation, passive exercise, and cell reprogramming, our team further attempts to rebuild neuronal pathways for autonomic functional recovery. In the central nervous system, injured axonal projections are particularly refractory to growth due to neural intrinsic and extrinsic factors. We are exploring effective strategies to increase growth capability and reduce inhibitory aspects for axon regeneration following SCI.