Analytical Cell Biology Section - Division of Intramural Research

 S. Brian  Andrews  Ph.D., Senior Investigator

Dr. Andrews received his B.S. from Providence College and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Subsequently, he was trained in Cell Biology as a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University School of Medicine. He remained at Yale on the faculty of the Departments of Cell Biology and Physiology until 1983, during which time he developed an interest in ion transport and analytical electron microscopy. In 1983, he moved to NINDS to join Tom Reese's newly formed Laboratory of Neurobiology, rising to Section Chief in 1990. Dr. Andrews' research group is investigating calcium regulation of synaptic activity in neurons, a program for which analytical and structural microscopy continues to be important. The laboratory also maintains an active interest in emerging areas of biological electron microscopy, e.g., electron energy loss spectroscopy and cryoelectron microscopy.

Laboratory Staff

Jarin Hongpaisan, Ph.D., Adjunct Investigator , 301-496- 1173
Natalia Pivovarova, Ph.D., Staff Scientist , 301-435- 2808
Ruslan Stanika, Ph.D., Fellow , 301-435- 2807
Christine Winters, B.S., Chemist , 301-435- 2809

Research Interests

Among recent advances in the field of calcium (Ca2+) signaling is the realization that mitochondrial and ER Ca2+ transport play critical roles in shaping the spatiotemporal characteristics of activity-evoked free Ca2+ transients. This Section investigates the basic physiology of this type of signal modulation, which in neurons is important for several physiological and pathophysiological processes, including gene transcription, synaptic plasticity, excitotoxicity, and neurodegeneration. Current studies focus on elucidating the mechanisms by which mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake mediates excitotoxic injury and developing strategies to ameliorate the effects of such injury processes.

Selected Recent Publications

Stanika RI, Pivovarova NB, Brantner CA, Watts CA, Winters CA, Andrews SB
Coupling diverse routes of calcium entry to mitochondrial dysfunction during glutamate excitotoxicity - Proc Nat Acad Sci USA    2009

Aronova MA, Kim, Y, Pivovarova NB, Andrews SB, Leapman
EFTEM mapping of near physiological calcium concentrations in biological specimens - Ultramicroscopy  109 201-212 2009

Trachtenberg S, Dorward LM, Speransky VV, Jaffe H, Andrews SB, Leapman RD
Structure of the cytoskeleton of Spiroplasma melliferum BC3 and its interactions with the cell membrane - J Mol Biol  378 776-787 2008

Pivovarova NB, Stanika RI, Watts, CA, Brantner CA, Smith CL, Andrews SB
Preconditioning reduces NMDA-induced, calcium-dependent mitochondrial damage in hippocampal neurons - J Neurochem  104 1686-1699 2008

Kristian T, Pivovarova NB, Fiskum G, Andrews SB
Calcium-induced precipitate formation in brain mitochondria: composition, calcium capacity, and recovery - J Neurochem   102 1246-1356 2007

Pivovarova NB, Nguyen HV, Winters CA, Brantner, CA, Smith CL, Andrews SB
Excitotoxic calcium overload in a subpopulation of mitochondria triggers delayed death in hippocampal neurons - J Neurosci  24 5611-5622 2004

Selected Earlier Publications

Contact Information

Analytical Cell Biology Section Laboratory of Neurobiology, NINDS  Building 49, Room 3A62  49 Convent Drive Bethesda MD  20892-4477

Telephone: 301-435- 2796 (office), 301- 496-1296 (laboratory), 301-480- 1485 (fax), Email: sba@helix.nih.gov