Lina Nih Headshot

Lina Nih, Ph.D

Assistant Professor

Phone
702-774-1456
Email
lina.nih@unlv.edu

Biography

Lina Nih, Ph.D., earned her Masters in Vascular Biology and in Neurobiology before obtaining her doctoral degree in Neuroscience at the University Paris V, France. During her Ph.D., she was awarded a research training grant by the Foundation of the Future (Fondation de l’Avenir) and the French National Institute of Health (INSERM) to develop the first dual pro-angiogenic cell therapy for stroke using two distinct vascular stem cells. She then completed a postdoctoral training at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a joint appointment at the David School of Medicine, Neurology Department, and the Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering Department. She joined the UCLA faculty as a principal investigator at the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation in 2020, and joined the UNLV Department of Brain Health in the fall of 2024.

Nih is a neuroscientist and vascular biologist with extensive training in biomedical engineering and materials science. Throughout her scientific career, Nih has been driven by the ultimate goal of addressing one of the most fundamental and pressing challenges in modern medicine: "Can the brain regenerate after injury?"

Drawing on her unique training at the intersection of neuroscience, vascular biology, and material engineering, Nih was one of the first scientists to validate the groundbreaking hypothesis that brain vessels orchestrate and guide neural growth and tissue regeneration following injury. She currently leads the N.I.H (Neuro-regenerative Innovative Health) Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research team focused on uncovering the mechanisms of brain repair after stroke through three main directions:

  1. Identifying the role vessels play in the activation of neuroplasticity mechanisms such as neurogenesis, axonal sprouting, neuronal circuit and synaptic connectivity.
  2. Deciphering the role of immunomodulation in post-stroke angiogenesis.
  3. Developing innovative and cutting-edge technologies for stroke treatment.  

Her past and current work has pioneered the development of therapeutic biomaterials, drug delivery systems, and hydrogel-assisted stem cell therapies for brain tissue revascularization and regeneration. Her multidisciplinary research program introduces a fresh perspective to the fields of neuroscience and regenerative medicine, approaching brain repair from a novel angle and challenging existing paradigms. These groundbreaking discoveries have the potential to reshape our understanding of tissue regeneration and open up new avenues for therapeutic approaches.

Nih is interested in applying her multidisciplinary knowledge and expertise to other brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, traumatic brain injury, and vascular dementia. She was awarded a five-year, $2.9M R01 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the NIH. She currently serves as an ad-hoc reviewer for the NIH Center for Scientific Review on Bioengineering, Biodata, and Biomodeling Technologies (BBBT), participating in both the Special Emphasis Panel on Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, and Drug Delivery, as well as the Biomaterials and Biointerfaces (BMBI) Study Section.