Yuchuan Ding , MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
 
 
 
  As Assistant Professor, Dr. Ding plays a major role in neurosurgical research programs and serves as a mentor for the students and residents on their research work in the laboratory. He has established several exciting new research projects that closely relate to neurosurgical applications, including motor learning deficits in traumatic and ischemic brain injury (hydrocephalus, closed head trauma and stroke), as well as neuroprotection during those pathological processes. He has extended his laboratory work to include novel studies on motor learning in children with hydrocephalus, and thus has helped integrate basic and clinical research.  
  Dr. Ding has made several major contributions to the field of hydrocephalus research since joining the lab in 1998. His impressive postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Vivian Casagrande, Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN enabled him to apply his knowledge of developmental neurobiology to the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus. His recent studies have shown that the hydrocephalic brain may become "pre-conditioned" and develop a tolerance for subsequent episodes of ischemia. In addition, Dr. Ding has introduced state-of-the-art testing of motor learning capacity in both the lab and the clinic. These studies have shown that sophisticated measurements of how patients learn to perform movements can pinpoint problems better than more generalized neurological exams. These preliminary studies will be expanded into new rehabilitation strategies to promote recovery in patients with hydrocephalus.  
    Education   To Top
  M.D. (Medicine), Beijing Medical College (registered by Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK), Beijing, China,   1983  
M.S. (Surgery), The Plastic Surgery Hospital, Peking Union Medical College (PUMC, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences), Beijing, China   1988  
  Ph.D. (Neuroscience), The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia   1994  
         
 
Professional Publications (last Five Years):
    
1995   Ding, Y-C. and Casagrande, V.A. (1995) The morphology of LGN axons that terminate in the CO blobs of primate V1. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 21.    
    Allison J.D., Melzer P., Ding, Y-C., Dinger J., Bonds A.B. and Casagrande V.A. (1995) The contribution of LGN M and P layers to the contrast sensitivity of primate V1 neurons. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 21.    
1996   Ding, Y-C., Boyd, J.D. and Casagrande, V.A. (1996) Excitatory and inhibitory synaptic circuits of parallel pathway in the CO-blobs of primate visual cortex. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 22.    
1997   Casagrande, V.A., Ding, Y-C., and Boyd, J.D. (1997) The morphology of LGN axons from different K layers in V1 of macaque monkey. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 23.    
    Ding, Y-C. , Pospichal, M. and Casagrande, V.A. (1997) A comparison of synaptic circuits of M, P and K LGN axons in owl monkey primary visual cortex (V1). Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 23.    
    Ding Y, Casagrande VA. The distribution and morphology of LGN K pathway axons within the layers and CO blobs of owl monkey V1. Vis Neurosci. 1997 Jul-Aug;14(4):691-704.(MedLine)    
1998   Ding Y, Casagrande VA. Synaptic and neurochemical characterization of parallel pathways to the cytochrome oxidase blobs of primate visual cortex. J Comp Neurol. 1998 Feb 22;391(4):429-43. (MedLine)    
1999   Ding, Y-C, McAllister, J.P., Canady, A.I., and Zhang, M-Z (1999) Neuronal damage and tolerance in hydrocephalus. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr., 25-637.16.    
    Ding, Y-C, McAllister, J.P., Canady, A.I. (1999) Axonal damage and neuron tolerance in hydrocephalus. Journal of Neurotrauma, 16: I28    
    Lai, Q., Ding, Y-C, McAllister, J.P., Canady, A.I. (1999) Motor skill learning and memory impairment in hydrocephalus. Journal of Neurotrauma, 16:F5.    
2000   Allison JD, Melzer P, Ding Y, Bonds AB, Casagrande VA. Differential contributions of magnocellular and parvocellular pathways to the contrast response of neurons in bush baby primary visual cortex (V1). Vis Neurosci. 2000 Jan-Feb;17(1):71-6. (MedLine)    
    Lai, Q., Ding, Y-C, and J. Erbaugh (2000) Motor timing performance and learning: A developmental effect. Research Quarterly for exercise and Sport, 71, S31.    
    Lai, Q., Ding, Y-C., Erbaugh, S. J., Canady, A. I. (2000). Motor learning impairment of shunted hydrocephalic children. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 22, S71.    
2001   Ding Y, Lai Q, McAllister II JP, Canady AI. Impaired motor learning in children with hydrocephalus. Pediatr Neurosurg. 2001 Apr;34(4):182-9. (MedLine)    
    Ding Y, Yao B, Lai Q, McAllister JP. Impaired motor learning and diffuse axonal damage in motor and visual systems of the rat following traumatic brain injury. Neurol Res. 2001, 23:193-202. (MedLine)    
2002   Ding Y, Yao B, Zhou Y, Park H, McAllister JP II, Diaz FG: Prereperfusion flushing of ischemic territory: a therapeutic study in which histological and behavioral assessments were used to measure ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats with stroke. J Neurosurg. 96(2):310-9, 2002 (MedLine)    
2003   Ding Y, Young CN, Li J, Luan X, McAllister JP II, Clark JD, Diaz FG: Reduced inflammatory mediator expression by pre-reperfusion infusion into ischemic territory in rats: a real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Neurosci Lett. 2003 Dec 26;353(3):173-6. (MedLine)    
2004   Li J, Luan X, Lai Q, Clark JC, McAllister JP II, Fessler R, Diaz FG, Ding Y: Long-term neuroprotection induced by regional brain cooling with saline infusion into ischemic territory in rats: a behavioral analysis. Neurol Res. 2004 Sep;26(6):677-83 (MedLine)
    
    Ding Y, Li J, Luan X, Lai Q, McAllister JP II, Phillis JW, Clark JC, Guthikonda M, Diaz FG: Local saline infusion into ischemic territory induces regional brain cooling and neuroprotection in rats with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Neurosurgery. 2004 Apr;54(4):956-64; discussion 964-5. (MedLine)    
    Luan X, Li J, McAllister JP II, Diaz FG, Clark JC, Fessler RD, Ding Y. Regional brain cooling induced by vascular saline infusion into ischemic territory reduces brain inflammation in stroke. Acta Neuropathol (Berl). 2004 Mar;107(3):227-34. (MedLine)   To Top
     
 
Contact Information
  
 
Yuchuan Ding, MD, PhD
Department of Neurological Surgery
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Lande Medical Research Building,
Room 166 550 East Canfield Detroit, MI 48195
Tel (313) 577-1342
Fax (313) 745-4099