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Section: Rotations
Postdoctoral
Position
Available

James G. Dobson Jr., Ph.D.

Academic Role: Professor

Faculty Appointment(s) In:
   Medicine
   Physiology

Potential Rotation Projects

Project #1: Determine how the adenosine receptors present in the heart talk to one another. This is important because adenosine exerts control over the nerves that regulate the activity of the heart. The effect of adult aging on the actions of adenosine is another project that could be pursued.

Project #2: Determine the involvement of protein kinase C in the myocardial actions of adenosine. This protein kinase plays an important role in the G protein coupled receptors, the family to which most adenosine receptors belong. The specific isoforms of the enzyme that are functional in the heart is of interest.

Project 3. Perform gene profiling to investigate differential gene expression caused by aging.

Project 4. Investigate the importance of cardiac purinergic receptors in controlling function of the normal, oxygen starved and aging heart.


Office: S4-242
Phone: 508-856-3775
Fax: 508-856-5997
E-mail: James.Dobson@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Cardiovascular Biology, Signal Transduction, Cardiac Physiology, Aging, Molecular Physiology

More on James G. Dobson Jr.'s Research
Research | Figures | Publications | Rotations | Biography
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Postdoctoral Position Available

Position available immediately to participate in studies dealing with the cardiac antiadrenergic actions of adenosine. Research areas include: Adenosinergic and beta-adrenergic signal transduction; Regulation of myocardial extracellular adenosine levels; Adenosine receptors and ventricular myocyte contractility; beta-adrenergic-induced contractile and metabolic responsiveness of the aging heart; Molecular mechanisms involved in adenosine receptor interaction and signal transduction; and Metabolism of adenosine in the aged myocardium.

Some recent studies from the laboratory have included:

EFFECT OF AGING ON MYOCARDIAL ADENOSINE PRODUCTION, ADENOSINE UPTAKE AND ADENOSINE KINASE ACTIVITY IN RATS. M. Lorbar, R.A. Fenton, A.J. Duffy, C.A. Graybill, J.G. Dobson, Jr. J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 31: 401-412, 1999.

ADENOSINE A1 RECEPTOR-MEDIATED ANTIADRENERGIC EFFECTS ARE MODULATED BY A2A RECEPTOR ACTIVATION IN RAT HEART. G.R. Norton, A.J. Woodiwiss, R.J. McGinn, M. Lorbar, E.S. Chung, T.W. Honeyman, R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr., T.E. Meyer. Amer. J. Physiol. 276: H341-H349, 1999.

ADENOSINE A2A RECEPTOR ACTIVATION ENHANCES CARDIOMYOCYTE SHORTENING VIA CA2+-INDEPENDENT AND -DEPENDENT MECHANISMS.
A.J. Woodiwiss, T.W. Honeyman, R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr. Amer. J. Physiol. 276: H1434-H1441, 1999.

ATP AS A SOURCE OF INTERSTITIAL ADENOSINE IN THE RAT HEART. M. Lorbar, R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr. Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 77: 579-588, 1999.

ADENOSINE A2 RECEPTOR ACTIVATION INCREASES CONTRACTILITY IN THE ISOLATED PERFUSED HEART. T.S. Monahan, D.R. Sawmiller, R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr. Am. J. Physiol., 279: H1472-H1481, 2000.

AGING REDUCES THE CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ISCHEMIC PRECONDITIONING IN RAT HEART. R.A. Fenton, E.W. Dickson, T.E. Meyer, J.G. Dobson, Jr. J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 32:1371-1375, 2000.

ANTIADRENERGIC EFFECT OF ADENOSINE IN PRESSURE OVERLOAD HYPERTROPHY. T.E. Meyer, E.S. Chung, S. Perlini, G.R. Norton, A.J. Woodiwiss, M. Lorbar, R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr. Hypertension 37: 862-868, 2001.

ANOXIA-INDUCED CHANGES IN PURINE NUCLEOSIDE METABOLISM OF IN VITRO AGED HUMAN FIBROBLASTS.  Reisert, P.S., J.G. Dobson, Jr., R.A. Fenton.  Life Sci. 70:1369-1382, 2002.

ADRENERGIC AND ANTIADRENERGIC MODULATION OF CARDIAC ADENYLYL CYCLASE IS INFLUENCED BY PHOSPHORYLATION.  Dobson, J.G., Jr., L.G. Shea, R.A. Fenton.  Amer. J. Physiol. 285: H1471-H1478, 2003.

MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF REDUCED ß-ADRENERGIC SIGNALING IN THE AGED HEART AS REVEALED BY GENOMIC PROFILING.  Dobson, J.G., Jr., J. Fray, J.L. Leonard. R.E. Pratt.  Physiol. Genomics 15: 142-147, 2003.

PROTEIN KINASE C EPSILON AND THE ANTIADRENERGIC ACTION OF ADENOSINE IN RAT VENTRICULAR MYOCYTES.   Miyazaki, K., S. Komatsu, M. Ikebe, R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr.. Amer. J. Physiol.  Amer. J. Physiol. 287:H1721-H1729, 2004.

RECEPTORS SUBTYPES  INVOLVED IN ADENOSINE-MEDIATED MODULATION OF NOREPINEPHRINE RELEASE FROM CARDIAC NERVE TERMINALS.  Lorbar, M., E.S. Chung, A. Nabi, K. Skalova, R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr, T.E. Meyer.    Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 82(11): 1026-1031, 2004.

INHIBITION OF PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY ENHANCES PRECONDITIONING AND LIMITS CELL DEATH IN THE ISCHEMIC/REPERFUSED AGED RAT HEART.  Fenton RA, E.W. Dickson, J.G. Dobson, Jr.   Life Sci. 77: 3375-3388, 2005.

CONTRACTILE EFFECTS OF ADENOSINE A1 AND A2A RECEPTORS IN ISOLATED MURINE HEARTS.  Tikh, E.I., R.A. Fenton, J.G. Dobson, Jr.   Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 290: H348-356, 2006.

ENDOGENOUS ADENOSINE INHIBITS CNS TERMINAL Ca2+ CURRENTS AND EXOCYTOSIS.  Knott, T.K. H.G. Marrero, R.A. Fenton, E.E. Custer, J.G. Dobson, Jr., J.R. Lemos.    J. Cell. Physiol.  210: 309-314, 2007.

The work in this laboratory involves primary ventricular myocyte culture and perfused hearts from mice and rats.  Recently, transgenic and knockout cardiac tissue is being emphasized.

Ideally, an applicant should have some experience with a few of the techniques utilized in the laboratory.  Biochemical, cellular and molecular techniques are used quite extensively. 

Postdoctoral positions are available for 2 years following a probationary period.  Salary will be in accordance with NIH guide lines and will reflect years of post-doctoral experience.

Please send your application and CV to:

          James G. Dobson, Jr., Ph.D.
          Department of Physiology
          University of Massachusetts Medical School
          55 Lake Avenue North
          Worcester, MA  01655

Please include in your application the following:

  1. Your particular knowledge and enthusiasm regarding a research area in this laboratory and what area you might be interested in studying.  This is a very important aspect of your application.
  2. Your salary requirements
  3. Your availability
  4. Your email address (for acknowledgement of your application)
  5. Three names for letters of recommendation

If you chose an electronic submission, it must be submitted as an attached formatted document in WORD.

For additional information and questions mail to: james.dobson@umassmed.edu

 

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