Our lab develops next generation cell therapies to restore brain function. A central focus of our research is to use modern genetic, molecular and computational tools to overcome existing limitations in cell therapies for stroke and neurodegeneration.
Every year 5 million people remain permanently disabled after a stroke due to the brain's limited ability to regenerate damaged tissue. The lack of an effective therapy that promotes long-term recovery after stroke represents a substantial clinical burden and unmet need for medical treatment outside the confines of conventional therapies. Recent advances in cell therapies have shown promising preclinical results in animal stroke models but have not been confirmed beyond doubt in a clinical setting. Major uncertainties remain — e.g., regarding the source of the transplanted cells, immune compatibility to the recipient, and cell survival and functional integration into the damaged neural circuitry.
Our primary goal is to overcome major limitations recognized by scientists in the field of cell therapies following stroke. We work with our excellent collaborators to push the boundaries of what is possible:
We exploit our expertise in experimental stroke research combined with molecular and genetic tools to optimize the cell source. We validate stroke procedures using laser Doppler flowmetry, utilize bioluminescence imaging for longitudinal cell tracking in vivo, and perform deep learning-based gait analysis. We further characterize cellular fate of transplants using single-cell and spatially resolved transcriptomics.
To better understand how transplanted cells integrate with the host brain, we visualize hybrid graft–host vascular interactions in real time. Here, transplanted human iPSC-derived pericytes (green) home to and engraft along mouse blood vessels (magenta) — illuminating the dynamic cellular mechanisms that underpin successful graft integration after brain injury.
Interactive atlases and data explorers from our studies, freely available to the research community. Browse single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and meta-science datasets — explore cell types, gene and protein expression, and molecular signatures directly in your browser.
A comparative single-cell and single-nucleus atlas of vascular and perivascular cells across Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and GRN-frontotemporal dementia. Explore gene expression, pericyte subtypes, and endothelial zonation, and trace the shared neurovascular signature that converges across all three diseases.
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Interactive proteomic maps from drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy patients, spanning 1,541 microvessel and 7,450 postsynaptic proteins. Search gene-level changes, browse curated vascular–neuronal ligand–receptor pairs, and examine predicted drug candidates for blood–brain barrier disruption and synaptic remodeling.
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This atlas maps the single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomic landscape of the mouse brain during the repair phase of ischemic stroke. Explore cell-type compositions, gene expression shifts, and molecular signatures across the post-stroke timeline.
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A single-nucleus atlas of graft and host brain tissue following neural cell transplantation into the stroke-injured mouse brain. Explore the molecular crosstalk between transplanted cells and the host environment that underlies long-term functional recovery.
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A companion atlas profiling human neural xenografts and host mouse brain tissue after transplantation into the stroke lesion. Examine how human-derived cells integrate, mature, and interact with the stroke-injured host environment at single-nucleus resolution.
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A meta-science platform tracking how scientific claims evolve from preprint to peer-reviewed publication across 72,644 bioRxiv pairs (2018–2025). Browse the full dataset, compare preprint and published abstracts side by side, and explore claim-change and hedging patterns extracted with large language models.
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Gait changes following stroke are often subtle and difficult to detect by eye alone. We use AI-powered 3D pose estimation to track specific body landmarks frame by frame — uncovering fine-grained motor deficits that would otherwise go unnoticed. The colored markers show deep learning–based labeling of individual limbs and body parts, enabling precise, quantitative gait analysis after experimental stroke.
Our research and its implications, featured across science news outlets and the popular press.
The Nature Briefing featured our preprint-to-publication study under "Preprints unchanged by peer review", noting that most conclusions change little between the preprint and the published version.
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Nature News covers our large-scale study of 72,644 biomedical manuscripts, showing that central conclusions rarely change between the preprint and the peer-reviewed version.
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Coverage of our two stroke studies with the University of Zurich, linking both the Nature Communications and the Advanced Science papers on neural stem cell grafts.
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A look at how our experimental stem cell therapy repaired brain damage in mice a week after ischemic stroke, potentially widening the treatment window for recovery.
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USC's official coverage of our Nature Communications study, in which neural stem cells transplanted one week after stroke drove tissue repair and restored motor function.
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Coverage of our collaborative work showing that neural stem cell transplants regenerate brain tissue, repair blood vessels, and restore movement after stroke.
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The University of Zurich's release on two stroke studies with our group, showing that neural stem cell grafts support brain repair after stroke in mice.
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Coverage of our PNAS study showing that blocking Nogo-A with antibodies promotes blood vessel repair and improves motor recovery after stroke in mice.
Read articleMore coverage: Inside Precision Medicine (Sep 2025), Medical Xpress (Sep 2025), UZH News (on our 2019 Nogo-A study), ITmedia NEWS (Japan, Jul 2026), China Science Daily (Jul 2026), Cadena 3 (Argentina, Sep 2026).
Ruslan Rust was interviewed about a study in which human brain organoids transplanted into mice formed functional networks, and about how humanized models like these could help predict which therapies succeed in the clinic.
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Ruslan Rust shared his view on studies in which rat neurons wire into mouse brains, and on how these chimeric models could help explain the cell-environment interactions seen in cell therapies.
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A conversation with Ruslan Rust about the lab's cell therapy program for stroke and neurodegeneration (23 min).
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Ruslan Rust on gene-edited iPSC therapies, crossing the blood-brain barrier, immune rejection, safety, and AI with single-cell data (24 min).
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An interview from the Zurich years on animal research, the 3Rs, and why brain cell therapy is not yet ready for patients (40 min).
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Ruslan is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Southern California (USC). He previously served as principal investigator at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Zurich. He completed his PhD at ETH Zurich in 2019, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Zurich. His career has focused on developing regenerative therapies following experimental stroke in mice, combining preclinical research with molecular and genetic tools to advance cell therapies toward the clinical stage. In his free time, Ruslan enjoys outdoor activities, travel and sports.
We're always looking for motivated people at all career stages. If you're interested in our work, please reach out.
Works on cell-based therapy for stroke and Alzheimer's disease, investigating how the microbiome influences neuroinflammation in the brain.
Works on gene-edited cell therapy for stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
Studies the molecular effects of Amyloid and Tau on iPSC-pericyte function to better understand vascular dysfunction in neurodegeneration.
Develops cell-based therapy approaches for stroke recovery, working across collaborating sites at USC and UZH.
Investigates CADASIL cell-specific changes and their effects on disease pathology in the brain vasculature.
Conducts a CRISPR screen for brain shuttle development to improve targeted delivery of therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier.
Investigates hydrogel-assisted cell therapy and hypoxia-preconditioned cell therapy to enhance neural repair after stroke.
Works on engineering universal cell lines through HLA disruption strategies to reduce immunogenicity for off-the-shelf cell therapies.
Develops single-chain antibodies expressed on the cell surface to enable targeted and enhanced therapeutic cell interactions.
Studies immunodeficient mouse models to evaluate the efficacy of cell therapies following stroke.
Focuses on therapeutically improving vascular repair after stroke to restore blood flow and support tissue recovery.
Works on the generation and characterization of iPSC-derived neural stem cells (iPSC-NSC) for regenerative applications.
We love to collaborate and connect with interesting labs and researchers across the globe. Whether you have a shared scientific question, a complementary skill set, or simply an idea worth exploring — just shoot us a message and let's connect. We're always open to setting up a call and seeing where things go. rrust@usc.edu
We are grateful to work with outstanding scientists across the globe.
We always enjoy connecting with interesting researchers and labs. Whether you're interested in collaboration, have a shared scientific question, or want to explore working together — reach out and let's talk.
We actively participate in and welcome collaborations with labs sharing complementary interests. Prospective lab members (PhD, postdoc) are also welcome to reach out. We're always looking for motivated people at all career stages, so if you're interested, please reach out.
We gratefully acknowledge support from federal agencies and private foundations.
