Ann M Parr

Ann M Parr is a Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Her research is centered on spinal cord injury repair, neural stem cell therapy, and neuromodulation techniques such as epidural spinal cord stimulation. She leads multiple active research projects funded by the NIH and the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, focusing on regenerative strategies and translational therapies for neurological recovery.

Her research interests include spinal cord injury, neural stem cells, cell transplantation, 3D bioprinting of neural tissues, and neuroregeneration. She also investigates health equity issues in neurotrauma, particularly gender and racial disparities in clinical trial participation and leadership. Her work contributes to advancing treatments for paralysis and sensory deficits following spinal cord injury.

Recent publications highlight trends in spinal cord repair, including the use of bioprinted organoids as neural relays, cell transplantation for sensory recovery, and neuromodulation to restore voluntary motor function. She also contributes to ethical frameworks in stem cell and gene editing research.

Dr. Parr has no listed scientific awards in the provided text, but her active grant portfolio and high-impact publications indicate significant recognition in her field.

She mentors graduate students and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams, including engineers and neuroscientists. Her lab works on developing translatable therapies, such as cell-based scaffolds and stimulation systems, for spinal cord injury. She is actively involved in projects that integrate bioengineering with neurosurgical innovation to enable long-term functional recovery.