Dr Kwok is an Associate Professor at the University of Leeds (UK), she also holds a visiting scientist position at the Institute of Experimental Medicine Czech Academy of Science in Prague (Czech Republic).
Dr Kwok was trained as a neuro/glyco - scientist. Her research focuses on modulating the extracellular matrix environment in the central nervous system to enhance plasticity and regeneration after lesion in the central nervous system. Her work in the last ten years has played the key role in the discovery of the structure of perineuronal nets (PNNS), establishing the mechanism of PNN formation and working out how molecules bind to the PNN to exert effects on plasticity. The work has led to the current widely accepted concept that PNNs are crucial in controlling CNS plasticity.
Carulli D, Pizzorusso T, Kwok JC, et al. Animals lacking link protein have attenuated perineuronal nets and persistent plasticity. Brain. 2010;133(Pt 8):2331-2347. (466 citations).
Kwok JC, Carulli D, Fawcett JW. In vitro modeling of perineuronal nets: hyaluronan synthase and link protein are necessary for their formation and integrity. J Neurochem. 2010;114(5):1447-1459. (161 citations).
Dick G, Tan CL, Alves JN, et al. Semaphorin 3A binds to the perineuronal nets via chondroitin sulfate type E motifs in rodent brains. J Biol Chem. 2013;288(38):27384-27395. (131 citations).
Vo T, Carulli D, Ehlert EM, et al. The chemorepulsive axon guidance protein semaphorin3A is a constituent of perineuronal nets in the adult rodent brain. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2013;56:186-200. (126 citations).
Lin R, Rosahl TW, Whiting PJ, Fawcett JW, Kwok JC. 6-Sulphated chondroitins have a positive influence on axonal regeneration. PLoS One. 2011;6(7):e21499. (124 citations).
Foscarin S, Raha-Chowdhury R, Fawcett JW, Kwok JCF. Brain ageing changes proteoglycan sulfation, rendering perineuronal nets more inhibitory. Aging (Albany NY). 2017;9(6):1607-1622. (83 citations).
Vargova I, Kriska J, Kwok JCF, Fawcett JW, Jendelova P. Long-Term Cultures of Spinal Cord Interneurons. Front Cell Neurosci. 2022;16:827628. Published 2022 Feb 7.
Krupa P, Stepankova K, Kwok JC, et al. New Model of Ventral Spinal Cord Lesion Induced by Balloon Compression in Rats. Biomedicines. 2020;8(11):477. Published 2020 Nov 5.
Warren PM, Kissane RWP, Egginton S, Kwok JCF, Askew GN. Oxygen transport kinetics underpin rapid and robust diaphragm recovery following chronic spinal cord injury. J Physiol. 2021;599(4):1199-1224.
Richter RP, Baranova NS, Day AJ, Kwok JC. Glycosaminoglycans in extracellular matrix organisation: are concepts from soft matter physics key to understanding the formation of perineuronal nets?. Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2018;50:65-74.
Irvine SF, Kwok JCF. Perineuronal Nets in Spinal Motoneurones: Chondroitin Sulphate Proteoglycan around Alpha Motoneurones. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(4):1172. Published 2018 Apr 12.
Sorg BA, Berretta S, Blacktop JM, et al. Casting a Wide Net: Role of Perineuronal Nets in Neural Plasticity. J Neurosci. 2016;36(45):11459-11468.
Carulli D, Kwok JC, Pizzorusso T. Perineuronal Nets and CNS Plasticity and Repair. Neural Plast. 2016;2016:4327082.
Kwok JC, Heller JP, Zhao RR, Fawcett JW. Targeting inhibitory chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans to promote plasticity after injury. Methods Mol Biol. 2014;1162:127-138.
Kwok JC, Warren P, Fawcett JW. Chondroitin sulfate: a key molecule in the brain matrix. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2012;44(4):582-586.
Zhao RR, Muir EM, Alves JN, et al. Lentiviral vectors express chondroitinase ABC in cortical projections and promote sprouting of injured corticospinal axons. J Neurosci Methods. 2011;201(1):228-238.
Galtrey CM, Kwok JC, Carulli D, Rhodes KE, Fawcett JW. Distribution and synthesis of extracellular matrix proteoglycans, hyaluronan, link proteins and tenascin-R in the rat spinal cord. Eur J Neurosci. 2008;27(6):1373-1390.