Galit Pelled

Biography

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Dr. Pelled graduated from the Hebrew University (Jerusalem, Israel) at 2004 and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD) at 2008. RESEARCH SUMMARY: At the Pelled Lab, we are dedicated to researching neuroplasticity mechanisms that are involved in reshaping brain function after injury. We work with animal models of peripheral nerve injury, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and epilepsy. We focus on identifying neuroplasticity mechanisms, and understanding how they are translated into behavior and recovery. We are particularly interested in developing new strategies to facilitate neurorehabilitation. We have recently developed a new technology that will allow scientists to control the activity of specific brain regions with high precision. This technology relies on a combination of a new gene, that we have discovered, and an external transmitter that can switch on and off neurons function in the brain. Thus, scientists can modulate neuronal function (a process known as neuromodulation) via induction with non-invasive magnetic fields. The gene – called EPG (electromagnetic-perceptive gene) - was discovered in a fish that navigates according to the earth magnetic field. The implications of such a technology could be significant for basic scientific research, and future clinical applications.

Research Interest

Radiology