Background
Dr. Brett McCray is an assistant professor in neurology whose clinical and research interest is furthering the understanding and treatment of peripheral neuropathy, particularly inherited forms of peripheral neuropathy such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. He serves as the co-director of the Johns Hopkins CMT Clinic and the Johns Hopkins site principal investigator for the Inherited Neuropathies Consortium (INC) natural history studies. He is particularly focused on inherited neuropathy due to mutations in TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid 4) that cause a range of conditions including CMT type 2C, scapuloperoneal spinal muscular atrophy, and congenital distal spinal muscular atrophy.
Dr. McCray's laboratory research uses a combined strategy of analyzing cultured cells, primary neurons, mouse models, and Drosophila models to elucidate pathways important in the pathogenesis of TRPV4 neuropathy and other forms of neuropathy.
Working with the INC and Dr. Charlotte Sumner at Johns Hopkins, Dr. McCray has established a TRPV4 neuropathy patient database to gain more knowledge about the natural history of TRPV4 neuropathy, learn more about the range of associated symptoms, and to determine if there are ways to detect and measure disease over time. He has also established a TRPV4 Channelopathies Clinic at Johns Hopkins to learn more about this condition. The overall goal of these efforts is to move towards a clinical trial in TRPV4 neuropathy.
If you are interested in learning more about the Johns Hopkins CMT Center, the TRPV4 patient registry, or the Johns Hopkins TRPV4 Channelopathies Clinic, please call 410-614-1196.