Rate My Professor John Carib Gensel

Gensel's research investigates mechanisms regulating central nervous system macrophages—endogenous microglia and blood-borne monocytes—in response to neurotrauma, including spinal cord and brain injuries. His work explores inducing pro-reparative macrophage phenotypes post-injury, receptors and pathways driving these phenotypes, macrophage responses to traumatic brain injury, age effects on inflammatory responses to neurotrauma, and therapies for human translation. He has authored highly influential publications, such as 'Identification of two distinct macrophage subsets with divergent effects causing either neurotoxicity or regeneration in the injured mouse spinal cord' (Journal of Neuroscience, 2009; 2,659 citations), 'Macrophage activation and its role in repair and pathology after spinal cord injury' (Brain Research, 2015; 946 citations), 'Spinal cord injury scarring and inflammation: therapies targeting glial and inflammatory responses' (Neurotherapeutics, 2018; 663 citations), and 'Microglia and macrophage metabolism in CNS injury and disease: The role of immunometabolism in neurodegeneration and neurotrauma' (Experimental Neurology, 2020; 312 citations). Gensel received the Charles T. Wethington Excellence in Research Award annually from 2013 to 2022 and the Office of Biomedical Education and Biomedical Graduate Student Organization Excellent Mentor Award in 2021. He holds research grants from 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021.