Evan Snyder MD PhD

Evan Y. Snyder earned his MD and PhD (in neuroscience) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 as a member of NIH’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). He had also studied psychology and linguistics at the University of Oxford. After moving to Boston in 1980, he completed residencies in pediatrics and neurology as well as a clinical fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Children’s Hospital-Boston, Harvard Medical School. He also served as Chief Resident in Medicine (1984-1985) and Chief Resident in Neurology (1987) at Children’s Hospital-Boston. In 1989, he became an attending physician in the Department of Pediatrics (Division of Newborn Medicine) and Department of Neurology at Children’s Hospital-Boston, Harvard Medical School. From 1985-1991, concurrent with his clinical activities, he conducted postdoctoral research as a fellow in the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School. In 1992, Dr. Snyder was appointed an instructor in neurology (neonatology) at Harvard Medical School and was promoted to assistant professor in 1996. He maintained lab spaces in both Children’s Hospital-Boston and at Harvard Institutes of Medicine/Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In 2003, Dr. Snyder was recruited to Sanford Burnham Prebys as Professor and Director of the Program in Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. He then inaugurated the Stem Cell Research Center (serving as its founding director) and initiated the Southern California Stem Cell Consortium. Dr. Snyder is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). He also received training in Philosophy and Linguistics at Oxford University.

Related Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Arthritis, Brain Cancer, Brain Injury, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Childhood Diseases, Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation, HIV-Associated Dementia, Huntington’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Diseases, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Parkinson’s Disease, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Skin Cancer and Melanoma, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, Traumatic Injury

We believe the study of stem cell biology will provide insights into many areas: developmental biology, homeostasis in the normal adult, and recovery from injury. Indeed, past and current research has already produced data in these areas that would have been difficult or impossible via any other vehicle. We have engaged in a multidisciplinary approach, simultaneously exploring the basic biology of stem cells, their role throughout the lifetime of an individual, as well as their therapeutic potential. Taken together, these bodies of knowledge will glean the greatest benefit for scientists and, most importantly, for patients. All of our research to date has been preformed in animal models with the ultimate goal of bringing them to clinical trials as soon as possible. Stem cells offer an intriguing mix of controversy, discovery, and hope. Politicians are charged with dealing with the controversial facets of stem cells, as we prefer to focus our energy on their potential for discovery and hope. 

The Snyder Lab studies stem cell biology, with the goal of understanding normal development, tissue homeostasis, and recovery from injury and disease. A major focus is neural stem cells (NSCs), which can self-renew and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. These properties make NSCs ideal for repair of damage due to injury or disease, but they also make them susceptible to transformation into malignant cancers.

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