Joanne Nash

Assistant Professor
Office: (416) 287-7445
Lab: (416) 208-4883
e-mail: jnash@utsc.utoronto.ca
Website: http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~cns/nash.html



Research Focus

My research interests are focussed on understanding the cell and molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease (PD). My research program is focussed on understanding the events responsible for neurodegeneration in PD, as well as elucidating the precise molecular mechanisms responsible for symptoms of PD. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop more effective treatments for PD.

Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease:

Many mechanisms have been linked with cell death in PD. In the non-genetic cases of PD (which accounts for 90% of all cases), cell death mechanisms interact. I am interested in the precise mechanisms linking these cell death pathways. Once these linking mechanisms have been elucidated, they will be manipulated; the aim being to prevent / reduce neurodegeneration in PD.

Current projects:

  • Characterisation of inter-organelle interactions in cell death pathways related to Parkinson's disease
  • The role of MF1 in prevention of cell death in Parkinson's disease
  • Evaluation of potential neuroprotective agents in cell models of Parkinson's disease

Symptoms of Parkinson's disease:

Re-organisation of synapses within the striatum of the basal ganglia plays a major role in generation of symptoms PD. I am interested in characterising the key proteins instigating these molecular changes, so that they may be manipulated to alleviate symptoms of PD.

Current projects:

  • Determination of the role of SAP97 and PSD95 in striatal synaptic plasticity and motor control
  • Functional proteomics to determine the protein composition of striatal complexes

 

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Research Opportunities

Presently there are no research positions available in the laboratory.

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Research Group

 

Ruth Warre
Postdoctoral Research Fellow

 

 

Vitali Chatalov
Masters Student

 

 

Christopher Yong-Kee
Master's Student (May 2006)

 

 

Danielle Salomoncyzk
Undergraduate Student

 

 

Asad Hanif
Undergraduate Student

 
Sean McCurdy
Undergraduate Student

 
Autif Muhammad
Undergraduate Student

 

 

Society for Neuroscience Atlanta 2006

 

 

 

 

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Recent Publications

  • Appleby V.J., Wu H., Corr¨ºa S.A.L., Garner C.C, Collingridge G.L., Fitzjohn S.M., Molnar E. Nash J.E. The N terminus of SAP97 regulates synaptic plasticity in hippocampal neurons Under Revision for Submission to J. Neurochem.

  • Appleby, V., Nash J.E., Duckworth J., Collingridge G.L., Molnar E. LTP in hippocampal neurons is associated with a CaMKII activation mediated increase in GluR1 surface expression but no change in GluR2 AMPA receptor subunit distribution. Under Revision for Submission to J. Neurochem.

  • Yong-Kee C.J., Hanif A., Sidorova E., Lozano A.L., Nash J.E. Characterisation of Cell Death Mechanisms in Parkinson¡¯s Disease. Submitted to Experimental Neurology.

  • Yong-Kee C.J., Salomonczyk D., Chatalov V., Nash J.E. Characterisation of potential neuroprotective agents in Parkinson¡¯s disease. Submitted to Experimental Neurology.

  • Gandy M., Lewis K., Wasik A., McIldowie M., Wagg K., Nguyen H., Martin-Iverson M., Tindiglia D., Salomonczyk D., Johnston TH., Thiele S.L, Nash J.E., Brotchie J.M., Gordon J., Piggott M.J. Redesigning the designer drug ecstasy: analogues of MDMA with potential for treating Burkitt¡¯s lymphoma. Submitted to J. Med. Chem.

  • Nash J.E., Johnston T.J., Garner C.C., Collingridge G.L., Brotchie J.M. (2005) Sub-cellular re-distribution of PSD-95 and SAP97 in animal models of Parkinson's disease and L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. FASEB Journal 19(6):583-5.

  • Nash J.E., S. Mc Guire, D. Peggs, A. Ganong, F. Menetti, and J.M. Brotchie (2004). The NR2B-selective NMDA receptor antagonist, CP,101-606 has no anti-parkinsonian actions in MPTP-lesioned marmosets.. Experimental Neurology 188(2):471-9.

  • Kalia, S., Nash J.E., Lozano A.L. (2004) To serve and protect? Interventions in the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson's disease. Commentary on "Ablation of the subthalamic nucleus protects dopaminergic phenotype but not cell survival in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol. 185:201-3.

  • Nash J.E., Wu H., Zamorano P., Garner C.C. Interaction of SAP97 with minus-end directed actin motor myosin VI: implications for AMPA receptor trafficking. (2002) J.Biol. Chem. 277: 30928-30934.

  • Fenster S.D., Kessels M.M., Qualmann B., Chung W.J., Denham S., Nash J.E., Gundlefinger E..D., Garner C.C. Interactions between piccolo and the actin / dynamin-binding protein Abp1 link vesicle endocytosis to presynaptic zones. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278:20268-20277.

  • Nash J.E., and Brotchie J.M. Characterisation of striatal NMDA receptors involved in the generation of parkinsonian symptoms: intrastriatal microinjection studies in the 6-OHDA-lesioned rat. (2002) Movement Disorders 17(3): 455-466

  • Nash J.E. and Brotchie J.M. (2000) A common signalling pathway for striatal NMDA receptors and adenosine A2a receptors: implications in Parkinson's disease. J Neurosci. 20(20):7782-9.

  • Nash J.E, Fox S.H., Henry B, Hill H, Peggs D, Mc Guire S, Maneuf Y, Hille C, Crossman A.R., Brotchie J.M. (2000) Anti-parkinsonian actions of ifenprodil in the MPTP-lesioned marmoset model of Parkinson's disease. Exp. Neurol. 165(1):136-42.

  • Nash J.E. Hill M.P., Moser B., and Brotchie J.M. (1999) Anti-Parkinsonian Actions of Blockade of NR2B-Containing NMDA Receptors in the Reserpine-Treated Rat. Exp. Neurol. 115:42-48.

  • Maneuf Y.P., Nash J.E., Crossman A.R., and Brotchie J.M. (1996) Activation of the Cannabinoid Receptor by delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Reduces gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in the Globus Pallidus. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 308: 161-164.

  • Pertwee R.G., Fernando S.R., Nash J.E., and Coutts A.A. (1996) Further Evidence for the Presence of Cannabinoid CB1 Receptors in the Guinea-Pig Small Intestine. Br. J. Pharmacol. 118: 2199-2205.


Teaching
  • BGYB30 Mammalian Physiology
  • NROD65 Neuropathologies of the Nervous System



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