Michelle C. LaPlaca
Papers
1
Total Citations
7
H-Index
1
About
Michelle C. LaPlaca is a pioneering biomedical engineer whose research lies at the critical intersection of neural tissue engineering, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and neurorehabilitation. Her major contributions include developing innovative in vitro models of TBI to study cellular responses to mechanical injury, as well as exploring pharmacological strategies to enhance neural repair. Notably, her work on D-cycloserine—an NMDA receptor partial agonist—as a potential therapy for chronic stroke recovery represents a bold translational effort to harness synaptic plasticity for motor rehabilitation. Though her most cited paper, a randomized, double-blind pilot study on D-cycloserine in chronic stroke patients, has garnered 7 citations, its significance lies in addressing a pressing clinical gap: the 60% of stroke survivors who fail to fully recover with standard therapy. By targeting NMDA receptors, LaPlaca’s research bridges basic mechanobiology and clinical neurology, offering hope for enhancing neuroplasticity after injury. Her interdisciplinary approach—combining tissue engineering, biomechanics, and pharmacology—has positioned her as a leader in neural repair, with implications for both TBI and stroke rehabilitation.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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