Joel Castellanos, MD | Stem Cells and Spinal Cord Injuries

The Sanford Stem Cell Institute’s Bobby Gordon sits down with Joel Castellanos, MD, one of UC San Diego’s premiere spinal cord injury researchers and practitioners. He serves as one of the Alpha Clinic’s Trial Experts, and as the associate clinical professor of anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Our discussion includes his ideas and work formulating and building a foundational infrastructure across disciplines to treat and rehabilitate spinal cord injuries and function. He is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine physician, and serves as medical director of Inpatient Rehabilitation. Dr. Castellanos' prime focus is improving function using an individualized approach. His expertise with interventional pain techniques allows for an integrative strategy to preserve and restore function. Dr. Castellanos evaluates, diagnoses and treats all forms of functional disability and pain using a multi-disciplinary team-based approach. He is particularly interested in neuromodulation at various levels including spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation, interventional spine procedures, radiofrequency neurotomy, ultrasound-guided and fluoroscopically-guided procedures, and regenerative medicine such as platelet-rich plasma, stem cells, and Tenex (minimally invasive technology for treatment of chronic pain). Hosted by Bobby Gordon. This episode was recorded Jan. 21, 2025; information presented was current as of the date of recording.