What the Future Holds for Brain Science

Jenny Hsieh, Ph.D., is a Professor of Biology at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a Semmes Foundation Endowed Chair in Cell Biology, and Director of the UTSA Brain Health Consortium.

Dr. Hsieh received her Ph.D. in biology from Johns Hopkins University, completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and studied with two of the most accomplished scientists in the world, including a Nobel Laureate and the discoverer of neuronal stem cells in the adult human brain. 

Prior to joining UTSA in 2018, Hsieh was an associate professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She has received the prestigious, competitive STARS award (Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention) from the University of Texas System and is a leading researcher in the area of stem cells, neurogenesis, and epilepsy.

Dr. Hsieh’s research focuses on how to make neural stem cells replicate themselves so a brain affected by disease or injury can replace its own damaged cells and heal. She tackles the challenge using molecular and genetic tools and is focused on understanding the factors that control the brain’s stem cells in order to stimulate new growth. Dr. Hsieh is expanding UTSA’s work in pluripotent stem cell research to develop new and innovative approaches to neurological disorders. She uses CRISPR, a cutting-edge gene-editing technology, to conduct and translate some of her research into precision medicine.  

She directs the UTSA Brain Health Consortium and collaborates with the more than 40 other UTSA scientists, who are experts in neurodegenerative disease, brain circuits and electrical signaling, traumatic brain injury, regenerative medicine, stem cell therapies, medicinal chemistry, neuroinflammation, drug design and psychology. Together, this exemplary group of researchers is working on complex, large-scale research projects that will produce a greater understanding of the brain’s complexity and the factors that cause its decline. This knowledge will be used to develop new and more effective methods for treating debilitating conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, addiction and traumatic brain injury.

The Semmes Foundation and The Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation proudly support her work and UTSA’s Brain Health Consortium.

Sean Guillory has had the absolute privilege of doing his Ph.D. Dissertation on the neuroscience of humor and laughter and has been enjoying the professional ride ever since then (currently he builds automation robots; sadly he has not gotten any of them to laugh).

Please also enjoy the picture that perfectly describes the past 3 months of his life (not pictured: his 5-year-old asking where the charger is).