Sandra Hewett

Dr. Sandra Hewett, Professor of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences,  studies the molecular and biochemical processes that occur after a brain injury and the role of astrocytes in the inflammatory response to brain injury. Astrocytes are star-shaped cells that play a significant role in neuronal signaling and provide physical and nutritional support for neurons. It’s an area of research that has not been widely studied, and one in which Dr. Hewett has made a significant impact. She has been honored with the Donaghue Investigator Award from the Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation, the American Heart Association’s Established Investigator Award and the American Society for Neurochemistry’s Jordi Folch Pi Memorial Award, among others.