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:
-
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.
- Your salary requirements
- Your availability
- Your email address (for acknowledgement of your application)
- 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
myocardial energy utilization. Emphasis is given to the importance of adenosinergic modulation of the regulatory mechanisms particularly upon beta-adrenoceptor stimulation. The importance of the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of proteins involved in the regulatory processes is a keen area of interest. Of additional interest is the role of adenosine in endothelial cell proliferation, aging of the cardiovascular system and heart failure. Mainly, isolated perfused hearts, dispersed ventricular myocytes and cultured endothelial cells are used in these studies.
Lazare Research Bldg, 364 Plantation Street, Rm. 708 Worcester, MA 01605-2324