Lauren Schulz, MD

2024 Cynthia Solomon Resident’s Prize in Hydrocephalus

Project title: Proteomic Insights into Blood-CSF Barrier Disruption and WBC Migration in Post-Infectious and Post-Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus

Dr. Lauren Schulz is a fifth-year resident in the Department of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Her study, entitled “Proteomic Insights into Blood-CSF Barrier Disruption and WBC Migration in Post-Infectious and Post-Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus”, attempted to identify a common pathophysiology which could account for the pronounced CSF leukocytosis seen in both disease states. Utilizing high-resolution liquid-chromatography mass-spectroscopy and subsequent bioinformatic analysis of CSF samples from 144 infants across the globe, Dr. Schulz was able to identify key genes, including IQGAP-1, involved in the disruption of the blood-CSF barrier and subsequent trans-endothelial leukocyte migration in inflammatory hydrocephalus.  These findings, once validated in cell culture and animal models, may open opportunities for targeted molecular therapies to prevent the development of PHH in premature infants.

Dr. Schulz obtained her bachelor of science in Biology from the University of Florida, followed by a master’s degree in Medical Sciences from the University of South Florida. She then completed her doctorate of medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Schulz’s primary research interest lies in the management of complex hydrocephalus, with special interest in the molecular pathophysiology of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH).  In addition to her work on IQGAP-1, Dr. Schulz was recently awarded the NINDS/NIH R25 award for her proposal on the role of extracellular vesicles and inflammatory T-cell pathways in neonatal PHH.  Following graduation from residency, Dr. Schulz plans to pursue a career in academic pediatric neurosurgery.