Efrain Azmitia
EDUCATION/TRAINING
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION DEGREE
(if applicable) MM/YY FIELD OF STUDY
Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri B.S. 1964-68 Biology/Biochemistry
Th
Ro The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (Bruce McEwen) Ph.D. 1968-73 Neuroscience
Cambridge University, Cambridge UK
(Joe Herbert) MA (Postdoc) 1976-78 Neuroanatomy
National Institute of Mental Health, Wash, DC (Floyd Bloom) Postdoc 1973-1975 Neuropharmacology
National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, L London UK (Geoffrey Raisman) Postdoc 1975-1976 Neuroplasticity
A: Personal statement.
My research focuses on cortical plasticity involving neuronal-glial interactions and uses a wide variety of multidisciplinary approaches from molecular to behavioral. For the last several years we have largely focused on morphological examination of fixed postmortem brains from autism and typically developing individuals (TDI). We discovered extensive nestin-immunoreactive blood vessels, evidence of angiogenesis, in the superior temporal cortex (auditory center) of autism donors compared to TDI donors. Nestin is localized to pericyte cells, a mesenchymal stem cell. CD34 endothelial cells were only seen in the autism brain. Vascular reorganization, marked by angiogenesis, impacts cerebral blood flow and will have important effects on the plasticity of neurons.
Cortical neurons must migrate through white to their final position in the gray matter after they complete cell division in the ependymal zone. In animal studies, neurons are very rarely seen in white matter after birth. Recently, we have found that vimentin and MAP-2, two cytoskeletal protein, labels neurons in the white matter of postmortem human brain. The neurons were fusiform in shape indicating a migratory state. This is consistent with a previous report describing corridors of migrating neurons extend from the ventricular zone through the white matter into the prefrontal cortex in early humans brain development up to the age of 18 months (Sanai et al, 2011). In autism brains we found a statistical increased in MAP-2 positive neurons in the white matter of temporal cortex in brains up to the age of 20 years. If this migratory process is being sustained in autism, it may explain the well-replicated reports of increased small cortical neurons in autism patients.
B: Positions and Honors.
1. RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1983 - Professor, Biology Department, New York University, Washington Square, New York, NY 10003
1999 - Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, NY, NY 10016
1988 - Associate of NYU Neural Science Center, Washington Square, NY, NY 10003
1996; 99-01 Consulting Sci, Appointment, Brain Project, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Japan
1998 Visiting Sci, Dept Neuroscience and Anatomy, U of Gottingen, Gottingen, Germany
1990 - 1991 Visiting Scientist, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724
1987, 1984 Visiting Sci, Center for Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
1982 - 1983 Associate Professor, Anatomy Dept, Mount Sinai School of Med, New York, NY 10029
1982 - 1982 Director, Lab de Neurohistologie Ecole Practique de Hautes Etudes,
La Salpetriere Hopital, Paris, France;
1978 - 1981 Assistant Professor, Anatomy Dept, Mount Sinai School of Med, New York, NY 10029
1976 - 1978 Anatomy and Neuroanatomy supervisor, Newnham College,
Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
2: ACADEMIC HONORS, DISTINGUISHED LECTURES AND FELLOWSHIPS
NIMH Career K05 Award, 2000-2005
Cajal Club President 1998-2000
David Lester Memorial Lecture, 1998
National Institute of Alcohol Abuse, 25 Year Anniversary Symposium, 1997
Japanese Neuroscience Distinguished Scientist 1994
Senior Scientist Lecturer, 1991
The Albert Einstein Symposium, New York Academy of Medicine, 1991
Stanford Centennial Symposium, 1991
Grass Foundation Lecture, 1990
Knight Foundation Visiting Scientist Lecture Series, 1988
Exon Grant for Neuroscience Teaching, 1987
The Rudolf Magnus Institute, 350th Anniversary, 1986
Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist Award, 1979-1983
Royal Philosophical Society, Fellow, 1978
Darwin College Fellow (Cambridge University) 1976
American Cyanimide, Lederle Laboratories 1976
NIH Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 1975-78
Foundation's Fund for Research in Psychiatry Award, 1973-5
Sigma Xi, 1969
The Rockefeller University Fellowship, 1968
Bausch-Lomb Science Award, 1964
Phone: 212-998-8235
Address: Department of Biology
NYU. 1009 Main Bldg
100 Washington Square East
NY, NY 10003
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION DEGREE
(if applicable) MM/YY FIELD OF STUDY
Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri B.S. 1964-68 Biology/Biochemistry
Th
Ro The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (Bruce McEwen) Ph.D. 1968-73 Neuroscience
Cambridge University, Cambridge UK
(Joe Herbert) MA (Postdoc) 1976-78 Neuroanatomy
National Institute of Mental Health, Wash, DC (Floyd Bloom) Postdoc 1973-1975 Neuropharmacology
National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, L London UK (Geoffrey Raisman) Postdoc 1975-1976 Neuroplasticity
A: Personal statement.
My research focuses on cortical plasticity involving neuronal-glial interactions and uses a wide variety of multidisciplinary approaches from molecular to behavioral. For the last several years we have largely focused on morphological examination of fixed postmortem brains from autism and typically developing individuals (TDI). We discovered extensive nestin-immunoreactive blood vessels, evidence of angiogenesis, in the superior temporal cortex (auditory center) of autism donors compared to TDI donors. Nestin is localized to pericyte cells, a mesenchymal stem cell. CD34 endothelial cells were only seen in the autism brain. Vascular reorganization, marked by angiogenesis, impacts cerebral blood flow and will have important effects on the plasticity of neurons.
Cortical neurons must migrate through white to their final position in the gray matter after they complete cell division in the ependymal zone. In animal studies, neurons are very rarely seen in white matter after birth. Recently, we have found that vimentin and MAP-2, two cytoskeletal protein, labels neurons in the white matter of postmortem human brain. The neurons were fusiform in shape indicating a migratory state. This is consistent with a previous report describing corridors of migrating neurons extend from the ventricular zone through the white matter into the prefrontal cortex in early humans brain development up to the age of 18 months (Sanai et al, 2011). In autism brains we found a statistical increased in MAP-2 positive neurons in the white matter of temporal cortex in brains up to the age of 20 years. If this migratory process is being sustained in autism, it may explain the well-replicated reports of increased small cortical neurons in autism patients.
B: Positions and Honors.
1. RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1983 - Professor, Biology Department, New York University, Washington Square, New York, NY 10003
1999 - Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, NY, NY 10016
1988 - Associate of NYU Neural Science Center, Washington Square, NY, NY 10003
1996; 99-01 Consulting Sci, Appointment, Brain Project, Tsukuba University, Tsukuba, Japan
1998 Visiting Sci, Dept Neuroscience and Anatomy, U of Gottingen, Gottingen, Germany
1990 - 1991 Visiting Scientist, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724
1987, 1984 Visiting Sci, Center for Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
1982 - 1983 Associate Professor, Anatomy Dept, Mount Sinai School of Med, New York, NY 10029
1982 - 1982 Director, Lab de Neurohistologie Ecole Practique de Hautes Etudes,
La Salpetriere Hopital, Paris, France;
1978 - 1981 Assistant Professor, Anatomy Dept, Mount Sinai School of Med, New York, NY 10029
1976 - 1978 Anatomy and Neuroanatomy supervisor, Newnham College,
Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
2: ACADEMIC HONORS, DISTINGUISHED LECTURES AND FELLOWSHIPS
NIMH Career K05 Award, 2000-2005
Cajal Club President 1998-2000
David Lester Memorial Lecture, 1998
National Institute of Alcohol Abuse, 25 Year Anniversary Symposium, 1997
Japanese Neuroscience Distinguished Scientist 1994
Senior Scientist Lecturer, 1991
The Albert Einstein Symposium, New York Academy of Medicine, 1991
Stanford Centennial Symposium, 1991
Grass Foundation Lecture, 1990
Knight Foundation Visiting Scientist Lecture Series, 1988
Exon Grant for Neuroscience Teaching, 1987
The Rudolf Magnus Institute, 350th Anniversary, 1986
Irma T. Hirschl Career Scientist Award, 1979-1983
Royal Philosophical Society, Fellow, 1978
Darwin College Fellow (Cambridge University) 1976
American Cyanimide, Lederle Laboratories 1976
NIH Post-Doctoral Fellowship, 1975-78
Foundation's Fund for Research in Psychiatry Award, 1973-5
Sigma Xi, 1969
The Rockefeller University Fellowship, 1968
Bausch-Lomb Science Award, 1964
Phone: 212-998-8235
Address: Department of Biology
NYU. 1009 Main Bldg
100 Washington Square East
NY, NY 10003
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