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James (Pat) P McAllister, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine, USA

Associate Editor
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James P. McAllister II, PhD is Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Washington University and the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital. His interdisciplinary approach includes a variety of translational research initiatives to advance understanding of the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus and develop improved treatments for this insidious disorder. Dr McAllister received his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1976, and following postdoctoral training at the University of Vermont School of Medicine, has held staff positions at the UCLA Mental Retardation Research Center, Temple University School of Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University, and the University of Utah prior to joining Washington University in July, 2014. Dr McAllister has dedicated nearly 31 years to the study of hydrocephalus, and recently was given the Robert H. Pudenz Prize for Excellence Cerebrospinal Fluid Physiology and Hydrocephalus by the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. In addition to advancing our understanding of the neuronal damage that occurs in the hydrocephalic brain, his introduction of shunting experiments in the mid-eighties has contributed to what is known about the potential for recovery after treatment. Working closely with bioengineers and pediatric neurosurgeons, he also explores treatments that could supplement surgical approaches (cerebrospinal fluid shunting) by protecting neurons or promoting regeneration in the hydrocephalic brain, as well as developing shunt systems that resist cellular obstruction.

"As a traditional neurobiologist with a fundamental interest in neural tube defects, my research includes a variety of interdisciplinary, translational approaches to advance understanding of the pathophysiology of hydrocephalus and develop improved treatments for this disorder. Working closely with neuroscientists, neurosurgeons and bioengineers, I investigate the neuronal damage that occurs in the hydrocephalic brain and explore treatments that could supplement surgical approaches by protecting cells, reducing neuroinflammation, or promoting regeneration in the hydrocephalic brain. I evaluate the functional effects of ventricular shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomy and choroid plexus cauterization, analyse brain compliance using magnetic resonance elastography in patients and animal models, and reveal the pathophysiology of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus. I also collaborate with biomedical engineers and small companies to help develop shunt systems that resist cellular obstruction and monitoring systems that noninvasively detect cerebrospinal fluid flow and intracranial pressure. Finally, I actively mentor a wide variety of students at all educational levels."