Congratulations to our undergrad Akshaya Vadivel for receiving a competitive grant from the American Gastroenterological Association! amergastroassn.bsky.social bit.ly/4ddRzf4

Our Executive Director Raeka Aiyar is featured in Technology Networks on the importance of genetically diverse cell lines in disease modeling. bit.ly/4tG9jGT #PrecisionMedicine #iPSC#NationalMinorityHealthMonth

At IGS, we believe every student deserves access to quality science education. Rise Up: Northeast Ohio is doing just that. Many of our members volunteer in their classrooms, and we’re proud to support their work. Follow them to see more 👇

To mark #WorldParkinsonsDay, we are proud to highlight work from our faculty Ben Clayton’s lab on reactive astrocytes in Parkinson’s disease, recently awarded a grant from the American Parkinson’s Disease Association to pursue strategies to block astrocyte neurotoxicity in PD. bit.ly/4c9NQQF

So proud to share that our founding director Paul Tesar has received the first eminent professorship in the history of Case Western Reserve University! We are grateful to the Pavey family for supporting this historic endowment that will enable vital work on glial science and glial medicines.

Congratulations to newest doctor, superstar Kate Letai! Her pioneering work on glia in GI diseases opened entirely new fields — and as her mentors @tesarlab.bsky.social and @marissascavuzzo.bsky.social put it today, she is the type of scientist who makes this field a better place. We are so proud! 🎉

Did you know that over 90% of autism risk genes are expressed in the gut nervous system? Our faculty @marissascavuzzo.bsky.social is using ASD donor cells to rebuild the human intestine in a dish to understand why so many individuals with autism experience severe gut issues. #WorldAutismAwarenessDay

We are delighted to share that our founder and director Paul Tesar has been elected a 2025 AAAS Fellow: bit.ly/4teejCc This lifetime honor recognizes his work in translational #neuroscience, #glia, oligodendrocyte dysfunction, and regenerative therapies. Congratulations, Paul.

We’re thrilled to celebrate #BrainAwarenessWeek. Highlighting underexplored brain research like #glia is core to our mission and we’re proud that our own Marissa Scavuzzo’s work on the enteric nervous system earned her a spot on @thetransmitter.bsky.social 2025 Rising Stars of #Neuroscience!

We're excited to attend the 7th World Parkinson Congress May 24-27, 2026! Check out a preview of what to expect. We hope to see you there! #WPC2026 #ParkinsonsDisease

We are pleased to share that our own Ben Clayton has received a 2025 research grant from End Alexander Disease. His project will screen 10,000 drugs for candidates that suppress GFAP pathology and examine how mutant GFAP reshapes astrocyte biology in Alexander disease. bit.ly/40jPFUf

We’re proud to share that Tyler Miller has received a Sontag Foundation Distinguished Scientist Award supporting his work in glioblastoma research. The $750,000 award will help drive new strategies to tackle immunosuppression in brain tumors. Details: bit.ly/4aZwkg6 #Glia #BrainCancerResearch

We are proud to join the 7th #RareDiseaseDay Cleveland event on Feb 25 hosted by CWRU SOM, Cleveland Clinic, UH’s Harrington Discovery Institute, MetroHealth, and NORD. @marissascavuzzo.bsky.social will present on glia in rare diseases. Join us virtually or in person: bit.ly/3MtTFhL

Excited to welcome Bruce Trapp of Cleveland Clinic (tag) as our plenary speaker for next week’s #TGS2025 conference! . A global leader in #Glia research, his work has redefined how we study and treat neurodegeneration in #MultipleSclerosis. #TGS2025 🧠 Info & free registration: bit.ly/4qEf1bs

The 2025 Translational Glial Sciences Conference agenda is live! 🧠 Nov 4 | 12–6 PM | CWRU Campus, Cleveland Join leading scientists exploring glia in disease & therapy. Free registration — space is limited: bit.ly/4qEf1bs #Glia #TGS2025 #IGS

Keynote alert! Lorenz Studer, MD (MSKCC), will speak at #TGS2025 on Nov 4 at the Sheila and Eric Samson Pavilion, Health Ed Campus of CWRU & Cleveland Clinic. 🔗 Learn more and register for free: case.edu/medicine/gli...

🧠 The first Translational Glial Sciences Conference is happening Nov 4 at CWRU. Discover cutting-edge glial research and therapeutic innovation. 🔗 Learn more + register: case.edu/medicine/gli... #glialscience #neuro #TGS2025 #CWRU #IGS

Dr. Ty Miller is pushing the boundaries of brain tumor immunotherapy at CWRU + UH. His lab explores how to reprogram immune cells into cancer-fighting allies. Proud to have him as an IGS Affiliate. Learn more: tymillerlab.org

Congrats to Rania Ziar, PhD student in the Tesar Lab, named a 2025 HHMI Gilliam Fellow! With support from her advisor, Paul Tesar, Rania was recognized for advancing inclusive excellence in science at CWRU. 🔗 bit.ly/4g0AyWQ

CWRU has now featured the latest research from the Tesar Lab at IGS in the university’s Newsroom. The article highlights how a newly identified molecular “brake” could help treat MS by promoting brain cell maturation. 🔗 Read more: case.edu/news/molecul... #Neuroscience #MultipleSclerosis #IGS #CWRU

New work from the Tesar Lab @ IGS identifies a molecular “brake” on brain cell maturation—offering a path to repair in MS. 📰 News: www.eurekalert.org/news-release... 📄 Paper: www.cell.com/cell/abstrac... #Neuroscience #GlialScience #MultipleSclerosis #IGS #CWRU

Thrilled to share that Dr. Marissa Scavuzzo, IGS faculty at CWRU, has been awarded a 2024 Hartwell Award. Her innovative work explores how glial cells in the gut may influence autism—using stem cell–based “mini-guts” to reveal new insights. 🔗 Read more: bit.ly/46M8uUA

IGS grad student Ying Xiong has been awarded an NIH F31 fellowship! His research explores how inflammation impacts oligodendrocyte development—glial cells that are essential in understanding neurodegenerative diseases. #GlialScience #Neuroscience #NIH #F31

Meet Kat, our Computational Biology Manager at IGS. From IT to bioinformatics, she’s advanced stem cell work at Gladstone and now drives glial research at CWRU. Vital to our genomic data & lab ops. Off the clock: gardening, stargazing, painting. #GlialScience #Bioinformatics

June is #BrainAwarenessMonth—and June 21 was #GlobalALSAwarenessDay. At IGS @ CWRU, Dr. Ben Clayton’s lab is reprogramming astrocytes to fight ALS, Alzheimer’s & more. Read more in The Daily: bit.ly/43XBarT #GlialScience #Neuroscience #CWRU

On #WorldMSDay, we at IGS highlight a story from @CaseDaily featuring research from IGS and its collaborators on the role of glial cells in multiple sclerosis. 🧠 Read it here: thedaily.case.edu/human-stem-c... #MSAwareness #IGS #Neuroscience

🎓 Huge congrats to the IGS Spring 2025 grads: Bruce Armstrong, Kristin Lee, Arul Mehta, Jeyashri Rameshbabu, Naya Alsouss & Dr. Will Wulftange! Your passion for glial science is the future. 📸 #IGS #Graduation2025 #Neuroscience

A huge congratulations to Will on his successful Ph.D. defense! 🎓 His dissertation on microengineered systems for hematological precision therapies explores how immune cells interact with CNS glia—vital work in precision medicine. We’re proud of you, Will! #PhDDefense #GlialScience

🚨 New Grant for Brain Organoid Research 🚨 The PMD Foundation is funding brain organoid research at CWRU, led by Dr. Paul Tesar (IGS Director) & Dr. Mayur Madhavan to study PMD & leukodystrophies. 🔗 Read more: www.pmdfoundation.org/blog/2025-gr... #GlialScience #PMD #BrainOrganoids #Neuroscience

Spotlight: Ben Clayton earned his biology degree at Utah and his PhD at UChicago, studying glial cell injury. He developed a screening platform for astrocyte pathology at CWRU. He received a Career Transition Award from the National MS Society and is now an Assistant Professor at CWRU & part of IGS

IGS graduate student Ying presented his research at CWRU, examining how inflammation affects oligodendrocytes—work that could help advance MS therapies. These presentations give students valuable experience and spark insightful discussions. Well done, Ying! #Neuroscience #MSResearch #CWRU

Staff Spotlight: Meet Nicole Datko, our Research Ops Manager! She joined IGS last August with a decade of Cleveland biotech experience and a Biotech degree from Kent State. Outside work, Nicole loves hiking, concerts, and her dog, Bucky.

Welcome back, Students! 🎓✨ This year at the Institute for Glial Sciences, we’re diving into new discoveries, building connections, and advancing glial cell research. Your work drives the future of neuroscience—let’s make it a year to remember! #ScienceForward

✨ Happy Holidays from the Institute for Glial Sciences! 🧠❄️ We loved celebrating the season with our amazing members and their families. 💙 Laughter, good food, and community made it a perfect way to close the year. Here’s to science, discovery, and togetherness!

Member Spotlight: Meet Marissa Scavuzzo, Ph.D. PI at the Institute for Glial Sciences & HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellow! She studies how glial cells impact gut health. Co-founder of Rise Up: Northeast Ohio, she loves hiking, art, & Lake Erie. Learn more: scavuzzolab.org

Meet Dr. Paul Tesar, Director of the Institute for Glial Sciences! Paul leads pioneering research into glial cells, advancing human health through innovation while mentoring the next generation of scientists. 🔗 Learn more: tesarlab.com/about

What Are Glial Cells? Glial cells, or glia (from "glue"), make up 50% of brain cells, holding the nervous system together and playing key roles: Support: Neuron structure. Nutrients: Oxygen/supply. Myelination: Signal insulation. Homeostasis: Balance. Immune: Brain defense.