e-mail- jpeduzzi@med.wayne.edu

Research Donations

Education:
B.S., Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1975
Ph.D., Anatomy & Cell Biology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 1981

Professional and Faculty Appointments:
Research Associate, Department of Physiological Optics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 1981 - 1991
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Physiological Optics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 1991 – 1997
Research Associate Professor, Department of Physiological Optics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 1997 - 2005
Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, 2005-present

Honors and Awards:
NIMH Special Review Committee, RFA on Developmental Studies of the Cerebral Cortex, 1994
Search Committee, Director of UAB Developmental Psychology Doctoral Program
Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Organogel Canada, 1998
Treasurer, Women in Neurotrauma, 1999-2001
Hammer Fund Award, Neuroscience meeting in Los Angeles, CA, 1981
Pressbook Selection, 1997 Abstract for Society for Neuroscience
Guest, President Bush’s Speech on Cloning, White House, 2002
Witness, US Senate Science, Technology, & Space Hearing Committee, 2003, 2004
Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Neurorecovery Inc., 2004

Major Research Interests:
The main focus of the lab is to develop treatments in experimental animal models and help advance these therapies to clinical trials. The most promising treatments include adult stem cells or tissue, matrix materials as a substrate for growth, delivery of growth factors using gene therapy, methods of increasing cellular metabolism, and scar disruptors. By using one's own cells, the problems of uncontrolled growth, rejection, disease transmission, and ethical issues are avoided. Most of the lab’s current effort is directed at chronic, severe spinal cord injury. This lab is probably one of the few labs in the world that specializes in large scale investigation of combination treatments of spinal cord injury that is chronic, severe and contusive. However, the treatments under development should be equally useful in treating head injury, retinal degeneration and other disease and injury states. Techniques used in the lab include behavioral testing, immunohistochemistry, and intrathecal delivery to rats and mice.
Dr. Peduzzi is involved in a number of collaborative studies. She is working with Dr. Carlos Lima of Portugal in expanding the clinical trials using a person’s own olfactory mucosa transplants and recently submitted an article with him describing the clinical trial. Dr. Morrow (Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham), Dr. Jackson (Cell Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Dr. Peduzzi are evaluating a new method of gene therapy for spinal cord injury. This gene therapy method specifically targets spinal motor neurons and allows one of more growth factors to be produced as long as needed without permanent changes to the chromosomes. In collaboration with Dr. Singh at VivoBiotech Inc., the usefulness of a matrix derived from human placentas is being tested as a therapy for spinal cord injury. Dr. Peduzzi is also collaborating with Dr. Jay Meythaler (Wayne State University), Dr. Evangelos Eleftheriou (Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham) and Dr. Michael Spyrou (Cyprus) on developing a new model of diffuse axonal injury. She is also working with Dr. George Bittner (University of Texas at Austin) on axonal fusion methods after injury and prolonging the window of opportunity in using this treatment.

References:

1.	Peduzzi, J.D., T.B. Grayson, F.R. Fischer and E.E. Geisert, Jr. The expression of TAPA (CD81) correlates with the reactive of astrocytes in the developing rat CNS. Exp. Neurol. 160:460-468, 1999. Medline
2.	Bittner, G.D. T. Schallert, and J. D. Peduzzi. Degeneration, Trophic Interactions and Repair of Severed Axons: A Reconsideration of Some Common Assumptions, The Neuroscientist, 6: 88-110, 2000.
3.	Meythaler, J.M, J.D. Peduzzi, and T.A. Novack. Current concepts: diffuse axonal injury associated traumatic brain injury. Archiv. Phys. Med. Rehab., 82:1461-1471, 2001. Medline
4.	Jackson, C., C. Cobbs, J.D. Peduzzi, M. Novak, C. Morrow. Repetitive intrathecal injections of Poliovirus Replicons result in gene expression in neurons of the central nervous system without pathogenesis. Hum. Gene Ther. 12: 1827-1842, 2001. (cover photo) Medline
5.	Woerly, S., V.D. Doan, F. Evans-Martin, C.G. Paramore, and J.D. Peduzzi. Spinal cord reconstruction using NeurogelTM and functional recovery after chronic injury. J. Neurosci. Research, 66:1187-1197, 2001. Medline
6.	Morrow, C.D., M.T. Palmer, C. Jackson, L.K. Johansen, A. Bledsoe, D.C. Ansardi, D.C. Porter, C.S. Cobbs, and J.D. Peduzzi. Targeting of poliovirus replicons to neurons in the central nervous system. In Vector Targeting for Therapeutic Gene Delivery D.T. Curiel and J.T. Douglas (eds), Wiley Publishing, 2002.
7.	Jackson, C.A., J. Messinger, M.S. Palmer, J.D. Peduzzi, and C. Morrow. Intramuscular inoculation of encapsidated or naked poliovirus replicons results in gene expression in the muscle and central nervous system. Virology. 314 (1): 45-61, 2003. (Cover photo) Medline
8.	Jackson CA. Messinger J. Peduzzi JD. Ansardi DC. Morrow CD. Enhanced functional recovery from spinal cord injury following intrathecal or intramuscular administration of poliovirus replicons encoding IL-10. Virology. 336:173-83, 2005. (Cover photo) Medline
9.	Peduzzi, J. and Meythaler, J. Advancements in Detection and Grading of mTBI, in International Conference on Closed Head Trauma: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Mechanisms and Design Criteria for Effective Protection Strategies. In press
10.	Lima, C., J. Pratas-Vital, P. Escada, A. Hasse-Ferreira, C. Capucho and J.D. Peduzzi. Olfactory mucosa autografts in human spinal cord injury – a pilot clinical trial. J Spinal Cord Med. 29(3):191-203, 2006. Medline

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