My research started out culturing dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cells with the potential possibility of procuring neural stem cells (NSCs). Experiments towards my Master’s degree were designed to show proliferation, neuronal and glial differentiation, and neuroepithelial characteristics to help prove that the remaining DRG cells in my cultures were neural stem cells. The results add the DRG to the list of relatively few areas where NSCs exist in adult mammals, including the olfactory bulb, dentate gyrus, subventricular zone, and spinal cord. My second aim was to see the effects of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor on DRG NSC differentiation, hypothesizing that such a treatment would lead to sensory neuron formation.  I chose to join the Medical Neurobiology program due to my personal interest in neurodegenerative diseases, the diverse faculty research interests, and the proximity to downtown Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Life Sciences Initiative- a cooperative venture between IUSM, Purdue University and companies such as Eli Lilly.

     Robbie Singh