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UNPM Staff (l-r): Chun Hui Yang, Julia Kang, Mei Qin, Kathleen Schmidt, Carolyn Beebe Smith (Chief),Thomas Burlin, Jane Jiang
| The Unit on Neuroadaptation and Protein Metabolism is an integral part of the Neuroscience Research community at NIH at the National Institutes of Health. We are located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland in the Division of Intramural Research of the National Institute of Mental Health. The aim of our research is to understand the role of protein metabolism in adaptive responses of the nervous system. Our work is built on the idea that long-term changes in the environment such as occur during development and aging, in response to synaptic activity and hormones, and as a result of disease or injury produce regional adjustments in protein metabolism that underlie growth, remodeling, degeneration, regeneration, and involution. |
| To study protein metabolism we develop, apply, and refine imaging methods that can be used to quantitatively measure these changes in vivo in all structures of the nervous system in animals and in man. Presently, we are investigating genetic mouse models of two inherited forms of mental retardation, fragile X syndrome (FrX) and phenylketonuria (PKU). Our results suggest that in both diseases there are defects in brain protein |  Regional rates of protein synthesis in rat cerebellum during postnatal development. (Sun et al., Am J Physiol 1995, 268:R549-R561 [pdf].) |
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synthesis that may underlie disease symptoms. These studies together with our complementary studies of behavior and cerebral energy metabolism should provide us with an integrated view of affected systems and circuits in these diseases. Understanding causal factors is fundamental to developing strategies for prevention and therapeutic intervention.
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STAFF Carolyn Beebe Smith, Ph.D., Chief, (301) 402-3120 Email Dr. Beebe Smith Kathleen C. Schmidt, M.A., Staff Scientist, (301) 402-3119 Email Ms. Schmidt Mei Qin, M.D., Ph.D., Research Fellow, (301) 594-2098 Email Dr. Qin Chun Hui Yang, M.D., Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, (301) 402-3123 Email Dr. Yang Jane Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, (301) 496-6902 Email Dr. Jiang Thomas V. Burlin, B.S., Research Assistant, (301) 496-6901 Email Mr. Burlin Julia Kang, B.A., Research Assistant, (301) 402-3121 Email Ms. Kang Lani Jenkins, B.S., Administrative Assistant, (301) 594-0324 Email Ms. Jenkins |
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