As Professor and Director of Neurosurgical Research, Dr. Pat McAllister plays a critical role in all research activities of the Department of Neurological Surgery and the Children's Hospital of Michigan. With joint appointments in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and the Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and an active membership in the Cellular and Clinical Neurobiology Training Program of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, he is instrumental in guiding neurosurgical residents through their doctoral studies, and especially in "gluing" the basic research initiatives together with the clinical strengths of the Neurosurgery Department. For the past 3 years, he has also served as Director of the Cortical Implant Project in the Ligon Research Center of Vision. Dr. McAllister received his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1976, and following postdoctoral training at the University of Vermont School of Medicine, he held staff positions at the UCLA Mental Retardation Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation before joining the Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University in October, 1997.

Dr. McAllister has dedicated more than 18 years to the study of hydrocephalus. In addition to advancing our understanding of the neuronal damage that occurs in the gray matter of the cerebral cortex, his introduction of shunting experiments in the mid-eighties has contributed greatly to what is known about the potential for recovery after treatment. By working closely with pediatric neurosurgeons Alexa Canady, M.D., Steve Ham, M.D., and Sandeep Sood, M.D., and developmental neuroanatomist Yuchuan Ding, M.D., Ph.D., he has turned the current efforts in the lab towards treatments that could supplement shunting, and protect neurons or promote regeneration in the hydrocephalic brain. Dr. McAllister is also deeply committed to improving education and communication for patients and families that battle hydrocephalus, and thus questions or comments regarding hydrocephalus research are welcomed. It is important to emphasize that a significant portion of the support for our studies comes from the local support group STARS (Support Toward Advancing Research on Shunts).

Wang A, McAllister JP II, Finlayson PG, Li J, Brabant KE, Tang H, Black CE, Cao T, Liang X, Salley SO, Auner GW, Ng KYS: Short- and long-term neural biocompatibility of heparin coated sapphire implants. Materials Science and Engineering C (in press).