Gabriel I. Nistor, M.D.

Dr. Nistor has been involved in many clinical research projects in numerous fields and conducted seminal research at University of California, Irvine between 2000 and 2010. He is a world leader in stem cell and spinal cord in jury research and has developed many novel methods and procedures to the advancement of those fields. In 2004, under the direction of Hans Keirstead of the Keirstead Research Group at UC Irvine, Dr. Nistor successfully co-developed a human embryonic stem cell derived treatment for acute spinal cord injuries in rats. That treatment was approved by the FDA for clinicial trials in humans with acute spinal cord injuries. The trial, currently in progress sponsored by Geron Corporation, marks the first human embryonic stem cell trial ever approved in the U.S.

Dr. Nistor's human embryonic stem cell research and applications in spinal cord injury include a method for differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into high purity oligodendrocytes, motor neurons and other derivates as well as novel approaches to 'stemness' and the differentiation mechanism of human embryonic stem cells. These discoveries, and new conditions for growing embryonic stem cells in culture, have been used successfully to grow very large quantities of cells. He was awarded the "UCI 2005 Innovation Award" for the accomplishments toward therapies involving stem cell technologies.

Clinical research projects include Obstetrics/Gynecology (etiological factors incriminated in breast cancer development; AC125 monitoring marker in ovarian cancer), Orthopedics (osteoporosis, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease) and Neurology (acetazolamine in detection of early cerebral ischemia with ultrasound investigation of cerebral vessels compliance).