Cornelius Ngwa, PhD

Biography

Dr. Ngwa has dedicated his scientific career to investigating the role of immune cells in ischemic stroke and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders. His early research focused on the development of peptide nucleic acids as therapeutic agents; an interdisciplinary project that integrated medicinal chemistry, drug delivery, and cellular and molecular biology.

Driven by a desire to better understand disease mechanisms in vivo, he joined the Translational Imaging Group in the Department of Radiology at Baylor College of Medicine. There, he studied the biodistribution of liposomal nanoparticles using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), gaining valuable skills in liposome formulation, imaging, and pharmacokinetics. To pursue more translational research in stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, aging, and neuroimmunology, Dr. Ngwa joined Dr. Fudong Liu’s laboratory as a postdoctoral research fellow at UTHealth’s Department of Neurology in December 2018 with the BRAINS (Brain, Rejuvenation, Aging, Inflammation, Neurodegeneration, Stroke) Research Laboratory. His postdoctoral research focused on identifying sex differences in neuroinflammation following cerebral ischemia. During his fellowship, he acquired extensive expertise in several key techniques, including the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, flow cytometry, and intracortical/intrastriatal viral vector injections for gene manipulation. He also gained experience with advanced molecular tools such as antibody conjugation and immune cell staining for Cytometry by Time-of-Flight (CyTOF). In addition, Dr. Ngwa has established several new protocols in the lab, including column-based isolation of microglia and T cells from injured mouse brains, CUT&RUN ChIP assays, aged primary microglial culture, microglia-neuron co-cultures, and peripheral immune cell isolation; producing robust and reproducible data. This multidisciplinary training has prepared him for the next phase of his career to uncover novel cell signaling pathways and therapeutic strategies that enhance neurological recovery, support healthy brain aging, and accelerate drug discovery for CNS diseases.