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Transforming the understanding and treatment of mental illness through research DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Principal Investigators De-Maw Chuang, Ph.D.   Dr. Chuang is the Chief of the Molecular Neurobiology Section of the Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health at Bethesda, Maryland. He received his B.S. degree from National Taiwan University in Taipei and Ph.D. degree from the Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, State University of New York at Stony Brook. He did his postdoctoral training at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology at Nutley, New Jersey. Dr. Chuang�s research has centered on the mechanisms and actions of mood-stabilizing drugs as well as the mechanisms of apoptosis and its implications in neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases. His lab has provided the first evidence that the mood-stabilizer lithium robustly protects CNS neurons from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. His group also identified potential mechanisms underlying lithium neuroprotection, which include inactivation of NMDA receptors, activation of cell survival pathways, up-regulation of anti-apoptotic genes, and down-regulation of pro-apoptotic genes. His team also demonstrated that lithium reduces brain damage in rodent models of stroke and a rat excitotoxic model of Huntington�s disease. In addition, Dr. Chuang and his collaborators have documented that glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), sometimes referred to as a house keeping gene, is in fact involved in the occurrence of neuronal apoptosis and could be linked to the pathogenesis of certain neurodegenerative diseases. He has received many honors and awards, including the NIH Director�s Award in 1997 in recognition of �his superb leadership and innovative research which advances the understanding of basic mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders�. He is also the recipient of the 2002 NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Award. He was inducted to the Academia Sinica in Taiwan in 2006. He served as the past President of the Society of Chinese Neuoscientists in America and the Secretary-elect of the Society of Chinese Biologists in America. Dr. Chuang is an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, and a member of many scientific societies including the ACNP, FASEB and the Society for Neuroscience. He has published over 200 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and books. Research Interests Dr. Chuang�s laboratory studies molecular and cellular actions of mood-stabilizers and antidepressant drugs. His group is particularly interested in the neuroprotective mechanisms underlying lithium-induced protection against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in cellular models and animal models of neurodegenerative disoders such as stroke and Huntgington�s disease. His lab pursues translational projects, attempting to use mood-stabilizers, notably lithium and valproate, to treat excitotoxicity-related neurodegenerative diseases. The group also investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the pro-apoptotic role of glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), sometimes referred to as a house-keeping gene, and the involvement of this gene in the pathogenesis of certain forms of neurodegenerative disorders. Representative Selected Recent Publications: Liang M-H and Chuang D-M: Regulation and function of glycogen synthase kinase-3 isoforms in neuronal survival. J Biol Chem, 282: 3904-3917, 2007.. (View PDF) Liang M-H and Chuang D-M: Differential roles of glycogen synthase kinase-3 isoforms in the regulation of transcriptional activation. J Biol Chem, 281: 30479-30484, 2006. (View PDF) Leng Y and Chuang D-M: Endogenous �-synuclein is potently induced by valproate and participates in the neuroprotection against glutamate excitotoxicity. J Neurosci, 26: 7502-7512, 2006. (View PDF) Chuang D-M, Hough C and Senatorov VV: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, apoptosis and neurodegenerative diseases.Ann Rev Pharm Tox, 45: 269-290, 2005. (View PDF) Senatorov VV, Ren M, Kanai H, Wei H and Chuang D-M: Short-term lithium treatment promotes neuronal survival and proliferation in rat striatum infused with quinolinic acid, a model of Huntington's disease.. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100: 6210-6215, 2003. (View PDF) Ren M, Senatorov VV, Chen R-W and Chuang D-M: Post-insult treatment with lithium reduces brain damage and facilitates neurological recovery in a rat ischemia/reperfusion model. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100: 6210-6215, 2003. (View PDF) Address: 10 Center Drive, MSC 1363 Bethesda MD 20892-1363 USA Phone: 301-496-9290 Email Dr. Chuang Fax: 301-480-9290 Lab Web Site:       Principal Investigators Scientists & Clinicians DIRP Labs and Branches DIRP Research Areas Staff Scientists/Clinicians Office of the Scientific Director Site Map Participate in Research Contact Us Careers in Research What’s New Functional MRI Core Magnetic Resonance Core Magnetoencephalography Core Microarray Core Non-Human Primate Core Scientific and Statistical Computing Core Transgenic Core Veterinary Medicine Resources (Staff only) Office of the Scientific Director Office of the Clinical Director Office of Fellowship Training Office of Technology Transfer Administrative Services Branch Administrative Services

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The Division of Intramural Research Programs is within the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is a part the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.