ANDREW CRAIG CHARLES, M.D. Professor  Director, UCLA Headache Research and Treatment Program
 Department of  Neurology UCLA School of Medicine
Neuroscience Research Building 1, Room 575
635 Charles Young Dr. South  Los Angeles, CA 90095-7335
      Phone: 310-206-7226   Fax: 310-206-6906
       E-mail:  acharles@ucla.edu

Education and Training
University of California at Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts, 1982.
University of California, Los Angeles, M.D., 1986.
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Internship in Internal Medicine, 1987.
UCLA Department of Neurology, Residency in Neurology, 1987-1990.
UCLA Department of Neurology, Neurology Research Fellowship, 1990 - 1992.

Honors and Awards
Regents Scholarship to U.C. Berkeley, 1978.
Regents Scholarship to UCLA School of Medicine, 1982.
Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Lauda, U.C. Berkeley, 1982.
Outstanding Graduate of 1982, Department of Biology, U.C. Berkeley.
Gladys P. Shea Award, Anatomy Dept., UCLA School of Med., 1986.
Richard P. Walter Award, Neurology Dept., UCLA School of Med., 1986.
American Academy of Neurology Research Fellowship, 1990.
J. Louis Riehl Research Award, Neurology Dept., UCLA, 1990.
Golden Hammer Award for Excellence in Resident Teaching, UCLA Dept. of Neurology, 1998

Funding
Veterans Administration Career Development Award,1991-1994.
American Academy of Neurology Neuropharmacology Fellowhip,  1990-1993.
NIH R29 Award, Principal Investigator, Glial Cell Signaling in Central Nervous System Injury,   1995-2000.
NIH Program Project, Sub-project P.I., A Clinical Research Program for the Partial Epilepsies, Jerome P. Engel, P.I., 1995-2000.   
NIH RO1 Principal Investigator. Mechanisms and Functions of Astrocyte Calcium Signaling 2000-2005.
NSF Award Principal Investigator.Oscillatory Calcium Signaling and Secretion in Neuroendocrine Cells 2000-2003.
NIDA Center Grant, Component P.I. , Center for the Study of Opioids and Drugs of Addiction. 2002-2007.
Singleton Award for Brain Tumor Research, P.I. EGF signaling in glioma cells. 2003-2005.
Board Certification
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 7/92

Organization Memberships
American Neurological Association
Society for Neuroscience
American Society for Neurochemistry
American Association for the Study of Headache

Clinical Experience
Outpatient clinic physician, UCLA Neurological Services, 1990-Present.
Attending physician, Neurology inpatient and consultation services, Sepulveda V.A. Medical Center, 1992-3.
Attending physician, Neurology inpatient and consultation services and outpatient clinic, UCLA Center for Health  Sciences, 1992-Present.

Research Experience
Laboratories of Dr. Ellen R. Dirksen, Dr. Michael Sanderson, and  Dr. Claude Wasterlain in Depts. of Anatomy and Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine.  Investigation of signal transduction and intercellular communication in glial cells and neurons using digital florescence imaging. 1987 - 1992.

Principal investigator, Laboratory in Dept. of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine. Investigation of  cellular neurophysiology and neuropharmacology  using fluorescence videomicroscopy, patch clamp, immunocytochemistry, and molecular techniques. 1992- Present.

Teaching Experience
Director, UCLA Department of Neurology Residency Training Program, 1995-2001.

Chair, Clinical Neurology Clerkship, UCLA School of Medicine, 1994-2000.

Lecturer Basic Neurology M203, UCLA School of Medicine, 1996-98.
                Neurological Pathophysiology , UCLA School of Medicine, 1998.
                Microanatomy A201, UCLA School of Medicine, 1991-1992.
                Molecular Cell Biology  M209, UCLA ACCESS Graduate Program, 1995-1996.
                Imaging in Neuroscience M272, UCLA Neuroscience IDP, 1997
                Techniques in Neurobiology, NS 275 UCLA Neuroscience IDP 1996-1998.

Symposium Chair
American Society for Neurochemistry Symposium AImaging of intercellular signaling in neurons and glia, Santa Monica, CA, 1995.

FASEB Symposium Intercellular calcium signaling, Washington, DC 1996.

Consultant for Today Show, NBC  - Organized and appeared on multi-segment program on headache, 1995.

Ad hoc reviewer for:
Neuron Journal of Physiology
Nature Cell Biology Journal of Cell Biology
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science Neurology
Journal of Neuroscience Glia
Journal of Neurophysiology Developmental Neuroscience
Journal of Biological Chemistry Brain Research
Journal of Neuroscience Research Journal of Neurochemistry Archives of Neurology
Lancet 

Review Panels
Department of the Army, Cell Biology Study Section, 1996.
Ad hoc reviewer for National Science Foundation NIH NSD-B Review Committee, 2000-Present.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Sanderson, M.J., A.C. Charles and E.R. Dirksen. Mechanical stimulation and intercellular communication increases Ca2+ in epithelial cells. Cell Regulation 1: 585-596, 1990.
Charles AC, Merrill JE, Dirksen ER, Sanderson MJ (1991) Intercellular signaling in glial cells: calcium waves and oscillations in response to mechanical stimulation and glutamate. Neuron 6:983-992.

Martin FC, Charles AC, Sanderson MJ, Merrill JE (1992) Substance P stimulates IL-1 production by astrocytes via intracellular calcium. Brain Research 599:13-18.

Charles AC, Naus CC, Zhu D, Kidder GM, Dirksen ER, Sanderson MJ (1992) Intercellular calcium signaling via gap junctions in glioma cells. Journal of Cell Biology 118:195-201.

Charles AC, Dirksen ER, Merrill JE, Sanderson MJ (1993) Mechanisms of intercellular calcium signaling in glial cells studied with dantrolene and thapsigargin. Glia 7:134-145.

Zhong LT, Sarafian T, Kane DJ, Charles AC, Mah SP, Edwards RH, Bredesen DE (1993) bcl-2 inhibits death of central neural cells induced by multiple agents. Proceeding of National Academy of Science U S A 90:4533-4537.

Hales TG, Sanderson MJ, Charles AC (1994) GABA has excitatory actions on GnRH-secreting immortalized hypothalamic (GT1-7) neurons. Neuroendocrinology 59:297-308.

Sneyd J, Charles AC, Sanderson MJ (1994) A model for the propagation of intercellular calcium waves. American Journal of Physiology 266:C293-302.

Charles AC (1994) Glia-neuron intercellular calcium signaling. Developmental Neuroscience 16:196-206.

Charles AC, Hales TG (1995) Mechanisms of spontaneous calcium oscillations and action potentials in immortalized hypothalamic (GT1-7) neurons. Journal of Neurophysiology 73:56-64.

Charles AC, Kodali SK, Tyndale RF (1996) Intercellular calcium waves in neurons. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience 7:337-353.

Zanotti S, Charles A (1997) Extracellular calcium sensing by glial cells: low extracellular calcium induces intracellular calcium release and intercellular signaling. Journal of Neurochemistry 69:594-602.

Bronstein JM, Hales TG, Tyndale RF, Charles AC (1998) A conditionally immortalized glial cell line that expresses mature myelin proteins and functional GABA(A) receptors. Journal of Neurochemistry 70:483-491.

Harris-White ME, Zanotti SA, Frautschy SA, Charles AC (1998) Spiral intercellular calcium waves in hippocampal slice cultures. Journal of Neurophysiology 79:1045-1052.

Charles A (1998) Intercellular calcium waves in glia. Glia 24:39-49.

Costantin JL, Charles AC (1999) Spontaneous action potentials initiate rhythmic intercellular calcium waves in immortalized hypothalamic (GT1-1) neurons. Journal of Neurophysiology 82:429-435.

Charles A (1999) Nitric oxide pumps up calcium signalling. Nature Cell Biology 1:E193-195.

Charles AC, Piros ET, Evans CJ, Hales TG (1999) L-type Ca2+ channels and K+ channels specifically modulate the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations and have distinct roles in prolactin release in GH3 cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry 274:7508-7515.

Guthrie PB, Knappenberger J, Segal M, Bennett MV, Charles AC, Kater SB (1999) ATP released from astrocytes mediates glial calcium waves. Journal of Neuroscience 19:520-528.

Piros ET, Charles RC, Song L, Evans CJ, Hales TG (2000) Cloned delta-opioid receptors in GH(3) cells inhibit spontaneous Ca(2+) oscillations and prolactin release through K(IR) channel activation. Journal of Neurophysiology 83:2691-2698.

Vitalis EA, Costantin JL, Tsai PS, Sakakibara H, Paruthiyil S, Iiri T, Martini JF, Taga M, Choi AL, Charles AC, Weiner RI (2000) Role of the cAMP signaling pathway in the regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion in GT1 cells. Proceedings of National Academy of Science U S A 97:1861-1866.

Charles A, Weiner R, Costantin J (2001) cAMP modulates the excitability of immortalized H=hypothalamic (GT1) neurons via a cyclic nucleotide gated channel. Molecular Endocrinology 15:997-1009.

Costantin JL, Charles AC (2001) Modulation of Ca(2+) signaling by K(+) channels in a hypothalamic neuronal cell line (GT1-1). Journal of Neurophysiology 85:295-304.

Stout CE, Costantin JL, Naus CC, Charles AC (2002) Intercellular calcium signaling in astrocytes via ATP release through connexin hemichannels. Journal of Biological Chemistry 277:10482-10488.

Stout C, Charles A (2003) Modulation of intercellular calcium signaling in astrocytes by extracellular calcium and magnesium. Glia 43:265-273.

Charles AC, Mostovskaya N, Asas K, Evans CJ, Dankovich ML, Hales TG (2003) Coexpression of delta-opioid receptors with micro receptors in GH3 cells changes the functional response to micro agonists from inhibitory to excitatory. Molecular Pharmacology 63:89-95.

Yoshida H, Beltran-Parrazal L, Butler P, Conti M, Charles AC, Weiner RI (2003) Lowering cAMP Levels by Expression of a cAMP-Specific Phosphodiesterase Decreases Intrinsic Pulsatile GnRH Secretion from GT1 Cells. Molecular Endocrinology  (2003) Oct;17(10):1982-90.

Beltran-Parrazal, L. and Charles, A.C. Riluzole inhibits spontaneous Ca²⁺ signaling in neuroendocrine cells by activation of K⁺ channels and inhibition of Na⁺ channels.  British Journal of Pharmacology, 2003140: 881-888, 2003.

Yoshida, H., Beltran, L, Butler, P., Conti, M., Charles, A.C., and Weiner, R.I. Expression of a cAMP specific phosphodiesterase decreases the excitability and pulsatile secretion of GnRH from the GT1 Cell Line. Molecular Endocrinology, 17:1982-90, 2003.

Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Bryant, J., Charles, A., Boado, R., and Pardridge, W. Intravenous RNAi gene therapy targeting the human EGF receptor prolongs survival in intracranial brain cancer. Clinical Cancer Research 10:3667-3677, 2004.

Bryant, J., Finn, R., Slamon, D., Cloughesy, T., and Charles, A. EGF activates intracellular and intercellular calcium signaling by distinct pathways in tumor cells. Cancer Biology and Therapy, 3:12, 1-8, 2004.

Charles, A.C. and Hales, T.G. From inhibition to excitation: functional consequences of interaction between opioid receptors. Life Sciences, 76:479-597, 2005.

Charles, A.C. Reaching out beyond the synapse: intercellular waves in astrocytes coordinate metabolism. Science STKE, 260: pe6, 2005.

Beltran-Parrazal, L., Ghiani, C., Cole, R., de Vellis, J., and Charles, A. Intracellular calcium release events in neurons: an intrinsic mechanism for spatially localized signaling. Submitted, 2005.

Tiwari-Woodruff, S.K., Beltran-Parrazal, L., Charles, A.C., Trung, V., and Bronstein, J.M. K+ channel Kv3.1 associates with OSP/claudin-11 and modulates oligodendrocyte progenitor function. Submitted, 2005.

Bryant, J.R., Finn, R., Slamon, D., and Charles, A. C. Correlation of EGF-evoked calcium signaling with growth response in multiple tumor cell lines. Submitted, 2005.

Book Chapters
Merrill, J.E., A.C. Charles and F.C. Martin. The role of substance P in cytokine production by glial cells. In:Biologyand Pathology of Astrocyte-Neuron Interaction. S. Federoff and G. Burkhoder, eds. 1993.