Pan is an expert in neuroscience, focusing on the role of zinc in stroke-induced brain damage. By using both in vivo and in vitro ischemic stroke models, she discovered that the intracellular accumulation of zinc is one of the major factors causing brain damage, and that the chelation of zinc dramatically decreases brain damage caused by ischemic stroke. In addition, Pan has observed that the blood occludin level increases with increased blood brain barrier damage, indicating that elevated blood occludin directly reflects blood brain barrier damage. Since end-stage blood brain barrier damage results in intracerebral hemorrhage, blood occludin has the potential to predict the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage after acute stroke thrombolysis before thrombolysis treatment.
