Dr. Boockvar directs Cornell's Neurosurgical Laboratory for Translational Stem Cell Research which is working to advance stem cell research to aid patients with neurosurgical disorders. Dr. Boockvar's laboratory interests focus on neural stem cells using the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The lab is investigating the link between brain tumor formation and adut human central nervous system stem cells. They are interested in understanding the differential sensitivity of patients with glioma to EGFR inhibitors like erlotinib. By manipulating normal and tumor derived stem cell EGFR signaling, Boockvar studies neural stem cell migration and invasion as this has relevance to glioma and to intracerebral transplantation paradigms in other disorders such as stroke and spinal cord injury.
Howard B, Boockvar JA. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Traces Neural Progenitor Cells in Vivo. Neurosurgery. 2008 Apr: 62(4):N12
Howard B, Boockvar JA. Brain tumor stem cells: will understanding a new paradigm lead to improved therapies? Expert Rev. Neurotherapeutics 8(4), 159-160 (2008)
Howard BM, Boockvar JA, Dunn IF, Friedlander RM. Pluripotential stem cells from mature somatic cells. Neurosurgery. 2008 Feb; 62 (2): N6-7.