Pelin Cengiz awarded grant to study sex differences in nerve growth factor treatment for neonate brain injury

Pelin Cengiz, MD
Pelin Cengiz, MD

Pelin Cengiz, MD, professor, Division of Critical Care, has been awarded a one-year grant from the UW Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education (OVCRGE) for $62,640. The project is titled “Interneurons in sexually differential neuropsychological outcomes following brain injury in neonates.” Cengiz investigates neonatal encephalopathy after hypoxic ischemia. Her experiments with mice have shown a potentially effective nerve growth factor treatment administered after neonatal hypoxic ischemia and indicate ways that sex differences may affect the treatment. Neonatal hypoxic ischemia can lead to severe and lifelong complications. Clinical studies have indicated that female neonatal brains are more resistant to these long-term effects than male neonatal brains. Cengiz’s project begins in July 2023.