Dr. Jia has been awarded a $200,000 Exploratory Grant over a two-year period from Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF). This grant supports the researchers new to the stem cell field and new and/or innovative hypotheses, approaches, mechanisms or models that will advance the field of regenerative medicine and generate human stem cell therapies to repair or replace missing, damaged, or diseased cells, tissues and organs. Dr. Jia will use this funding to develop potential cell based therapies for peripheral nerve injury to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration and functional recovery in a translational model. Dr. Jia collaborates on this project with Dr. Gabsang Lee, Assistant Professor, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, and Institute of Cell Engineering. In addition, Dr. Jia is also collaborated with Dr. Hai-Quan Mao and Dr. Guo-li Ming.