Dr. Matthias Nahrendorf’s research focuses on the role of immunity in cardiovascular health and disease, specifically in atherosclerosis and heart failure. Of particular interest are the function, supply, and production of leukocytes, and the signals that regulate hematopoiesis after injuries such as myocardial infarction or stroke. In this collaborative project with Dr. Michael A. Moskowitz, the group aims to dissect the role of skull marrow niche cells in inflammation and brain health in a mouse model of ischemic stroke. This project expands upon Dr. Moskowitz and team’s recent discovery of skull hematopoietic niches that are directly connected to the central nervous system via hundreds of tiny channels through the skull. Through this project, Drs. Moskowitz and Nahrendorf hope to shed the light on how cells produced by skull bone marrow contribute to post-stroke immune responses.