Seminars & Events
Attend one of our events. View the calendar below to see what’s coming up.
Jan
22
Automated Patch Clamp for Investigating Human Ion Channel Variants - Carlos G. Vanoye, Ph.D.
Chicago - 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Department of Pharmacology Lecture Series on Biochemical and Biophysical Techniques Carlos G. Vanoye, Ph.D.Research Associate Professor Department of PharmacologyFeinberg School of Medicine Abstract: The widespread use of genetic and genomic testing in research and clinical medicine has led to explosive growth in the number of gene variants associated with human diseases and in reference populations. For example, in genetic arrhythmia and epilepsy, 2 diseases studied by our group, there are ~3000 potassium and sodium ion channel variants associated with these diseases. The standard approach for determining the functional properties and the likely pathogenicity of an ion channel variant is cellular electrophysiology using manual patch-clamp recording of heterologously expressed recombinant channels. However, this method is tedious, time- and labor-intensive, making it too low throughput for determining the ever-increasing number of ion channel variants. To overcome this challenge, we have implemented a workflow that combines high efficiency electroporation to achieve transient co-expression of ion channel subunits in cultured cells with automated planar patch clamp recording performed in a 384-well format. Our results indicate that automated electrophysiology is a valid platform for the rapid functional assessment of ion channel variants that allows linking genotype to function for human ion channels and creates new opportunities for precision medicine.
Jan
28
Pharmacology Research Works-in-Progress: Rama Mishra, Ph.D. and Mehdi Maneshi, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Rama Mishra, Ph.D.Research Assistant Professor of PharmacologyCenter for Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery Mehdi Maneshi, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Murali Prakriya Laboratory "Regulation of Ca2+ signaling and synaptic plasticity in dendritic spines by Orai1" Calcium signaling plays a crucial role in synaptic plasticity and Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) and has been shown to be altered in disease state such as in Alzheimer’s disease. An essential and highly conserved Ca2+ signaling pathway in many cells is store operated calcium entry (SOCE). SOCE is mediated by the well described Orai family of channels, yet the role of Orai channels for synaptic plasticity has not been addressed. The goal of my project is to understand how SOCE regulates Ca2+ signaling in dendritic spines and how LTP and downstream cascade of signaling is driven by Orai1. My preliminary results show that Orai1 plays a significant role in synaptic signaling, AMPA receptor recycling, and plasticity including maturation of maintenance of mature dendritic spines. Our in-vivo studies show that loss of ORAI1 inhibits LTP and causes significant impairment of working memory and learning in mice. Understanding the role of SOCE in synaptic plasticity will further our understanding of pathways of learning and memory and will help to design pharmacological agents for neurological diseases.
Feb
04
Pharmacology Research Works-in-Progress: Eugene Wyatt, Ph.D. and Tanima De, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Eugene Wyatt, Ph.D.Research Assistant Professor of PharmacologyCenter for Genetic Medicine Tanima De, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Minoli Perera Laboratory
Feb
11
Pharmacology Research Works-in-Progress: Adam Gordon, Ph.D. and Kendall Foote
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Adam Gordon, Ph.D.Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Center for Genetic Medicine "Incidental and Pharmacogenetic Findings in Personal Genome Sequencing" Rapidly increasing availability and interest in personal genomics is radically shifting the genetic testing landscape away from traditional, indication-based single-variant or gene tests towards broader panel/exome/genome testing, often in individuals without an indication for testing. Though this shift is accelerating, driven partly through broad-scale sequencing efforts like All of Us, we are only now beginning to understand the rates and types of actionable, pathogenic, and uncertain variation that will be newly uncovered. This talk will explore these issues through my current research in the eMERGE network, and propose new high-throughput approaches to tackle challenges in variant interpretation. Kendall FootePhD Candidate, Dr. Geoff Swanson Laboratory
Feb
12
Lectures in Life Sciences (LLS) Fred de Sauvage
Chicago - 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Fred de Sauvage, PhD Genentech "Tumor cell plasticity as a challenge for targeted therapies"
Feb
18
Pharmacology Research Works-in-Progress: Erika Ramos and Yizhen Zhong
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Erika RamosPhD Candidate, Dr. Huiping Liu Laboratory Yizhen ZhongPhD Candidate, Dr. Minoli Perera Laboratory "Discovery of Novel Hepatic eQTLs in African Americans: disparities in Precision Medicine" Abstract: African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately affected by metabolic diseases and drug adverse events, with little genomic and transcriptomic data to advance the knowledge of molecular underpinning of diseases. Here we use primary hepatocytes of AA donors for genome-wide mapping of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). We identified 128 eGenes and 9,658 eQTLs not observed in the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project liver cohort. Unique eQTLs contain signatures of positive selection and have larger Fst and LD than overlapping eQTLs. We implicated LY75 as a candidate gene responsible for hemoglobin concentration through a unique eQTL. Our analysis provides comprehensive characterization of potential population specific regulatory variants and their relevance to disease phenotypes.
Feb
25
Pharmacology Research Works-in-Progress: Chuyu Chen, Ph.D. and Nicholas Denton, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Chuyu Chen, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Loukia Parisiadou Laboratory Nicholas Denton, Ph.D.Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Dai Horiuchi Laboratory
Mar
11
Pharmacology Seminar: Francisco Bezanilla, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Francisco Bezanilla, Ph.D.Lillian Eichelberger Cannon ProfessorDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Chicago
Mar
18
Pharmacology Seminar: Chaolin Zhang, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Chaolin Zhang, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorDepartments of Systems Biology and Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyColumbia University Medical Center
Mar
25
Pharmacology Seminar: Indira M. Raman, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Indira M. Raman, Ph.D.Bill and Gayle Cook ProfessorDepartment of NeurobiologyWeinberg School of Arts & Sciences
Apr
01
Joint Pharmacology & Seizure Focus Seminar: Alex Shcheglovitov, Ph.D.
Chicago - 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Joint Department of Pharmacology and Seizure Focus Forum Seminar Alex Shcheglovitov, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Neurobiology & AnatomyAdjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and BioengineeringUniversity of Utah
Apr
08
Pharmacology Seminar: Michelle Day, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Michelle Day, Ph.D.Research Associate ProfessorDepartment of PhysiologyFeinberg School of Medicine
Apr
15
Pharmacology Seminar: Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D.Executive Director of FAU Brain InstituteProfessor of Biomedical ScienceFlorida Atlantic University
Apr
22
Julius B. Kahn Lecture: Mark Von Zastrow, M.D., Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
The Department of Pharmacology is pleased to present a special seminar by the nominated Julius B. Kahn Visiting Professor. Mark Von Zastrow, M.D., Ph.D.Professor of Psychiatry University of California San Francisco
Apr
29
Pharmacology Seminar: Jean Ju Chung, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Jean Ju Chung, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Cellular & Molecular PhysiologyYale School of Medicine
May
06
Pharmacology Seminar: Thomas Hnasko, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thomas Hnasko, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of NeurosciencesUC San Diego
May
13
Pharmacology Seminar: Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D.Professor, Department of NeurobiologyAssociate Director, Comprehensive Neuroscience CenterCo-Director, Neuroscience Graduate Theme, Graduate Biomedical ScienceUniversity of Alabama at Birminghim School of Medicine
May
20
Pharmacology Seminar: Richard H. Kramer, Ph.D.
Chicago - 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Richard H. Kramer, Ph.D.Professor of Neurobiology and Vision ScienceCH and Annie Li Chair in Molecular Biology of DiseasesUniversity of California, Berkeley