PhD in Neurobiology, University of Chicago.

BS in Biology, University of Utah.

Ben is a postdoc in the lab with a Career Transition Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The focus of his research is to identify regulators of glial fate and function in health and disease. Ben has a particular interest in revealing the mechanism that control pathological astrocyte reactivity. To do this he develops advanced cellular platforms that he combines with chemical and genetic screening to mechanistically define regulators of reactive astrocytes. Ben then determines the therapeutic potential of targeting these regulators using mouse models of disease. His ultimate goal is to advance our understanding of glial biology and then leverage this deeper understanding to develop glial targeted therapeutics. Before joining the Tesar lab, Ben got his PhD in Neurobiology from The University of Chicago working in the lab of Dr. Brian Popko. Ben’s graduate work focused on exploring the role of the integrated stress response in hypoxia induced white matter injury. Prior to that Ben worked as an undergraduate researcher and then research technician in the lab of Dr. Kurt Albertine where he used preterm sheep to study the effect of oxygen delivery systems on the premature brain. When not in the lab Ben spends his time with his wife Ali, whom he met doing undergraduate research using preterm sheep, and their two kids Cassidy and Cameron.