Cole Harrington MD, PhD

What do you research, and what brought you to that area of study? 

My laboratory investigates how oligodendroglia, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and mature oligodendrocytes, are altered by an immune environment and how this impacts their homeostatic functions, the surrounding environment and ultimately remyelination and repair. Glial biology has always been my passion since graduate school and I have been fortunate to combine this research passion with my other passion, caring for people living with MS. 

What impact do you hope your research will have? 

My ultimate goal is to identify mechanisms that can be targeted to promote remyelination and recovery in neuroinflammatory disorders. There are no therapies available that promote repair in MS. We hope by understanding how oligodendroglia respond to inflammation we can bridge this knowledge gap to develop translatable therapies for people living with MS and other neurological disorders. 

What excites you about doing interdisciplinary research at OSU? 

Working together with other investigators to collectively combine expertise and creativity I believe always has the potential for more innovative and impactful research. As a relatively junior investigator at OSU, I am excited to continue to build these collaborations and do science together that improves the care of neurological disease. Having a stellar medical center like OSUMC is a major advantage for fostering a community of researchers that are advancing medical care. 

What do you do in your free time? 

I enjoy doing pottery in my free time. The flow state and hands on nature of pottery is really therapeutic and channels my creativity and artsy side. I also recently started trying "diamond/gem" art which I also find a fun and lowkey way to unwind. Highly recommend these to anyone to try!