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Principal Organizer
Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital
Co-Organizers
Biochip National Engineering Research Center
Aomaier Genetic Technology Limited Company

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 For enquiries, please contact the Conference Secretariat:

 

Conference Secretariat of ISDGM2009

Genetic Testing Center for Deafness,

Inst. of Otolaryngology,

Chinese PLA General Hospital,

28 FuXing Road, Beijing, 100853, China


Tel: (86) 10-6815 7998 (Mandarin and English)
Fax: (86) 10-6815 7998
Email:
daisy9716@yahoo.com.cn
(Dr. Bing Han)
wjcmu@163.com
(Dr. Guo-Jian Wang)

Kumar N. Alagramam, Ph.D.

Dr. Kumar Alagramam earned his Masters in Biotechnology and Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville . He received postdoctoral training at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Case Western Reserve University.
 
His research is focused on studying genes associated with development, protection and regeneration of sensory hair cells in the inner ear using the mouse model. Reports from Alagramam's lab provided genetic evidence that mutation in a protocadherin gene causes deafness in mouse and human subjects.
 
One of the aims of his lab is to understand the role of protocadherin genes in the development of sensory epithelia in the inner ear in the mouse model. The other objective of Alagramam's lab is to identify molecular pathways induced or influenced by noise exposure. They are also conducting exploratory research in the mouse whose ultimate aim is to replace damaged hair cells with new hair cells generated from stem cells.
 
 
CURRICULUM VITAE
 
Name Kumar Alagramam, Ph.D.                 
Position Title
The Maniglia Chair for Education and Research
Associate Professor
Director of Research
Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery
Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, Ohio,
USA  
Education/Training
Univ. of Madras, India       B.Sc            1983            Zoology
Univ. of Tennessee at Knoxville, TN, USA     M.S.   1990    Biotechnology
Univ. of Tennessee at Knoxville, TN, USA     Ph.D. 1994 Molecular Biology
 
Research Interest
We are interested in studying genetic factors associated with Usher syndrome, susceptibility to noise induced hearing loss and hearing loss linked to endolymphatic hydrops. We are also interested in screening for therapeutic agents to prevent hearing loss linked to noise exposure and endolymphatic hydrops. We use various animal models and molecular biology techniques in our investigation.        
 
Positions
1995-1997      Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Laboratory of Richard P. Woychik, Mammalian Genetics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
1997-2000     Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Laboratory of Richard P. Woychik, Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University
2000-2001      Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University
2001-2007     Assistant Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, The Research Institute, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University
2002-2007     Associate Professor, Secondary Appointment in the Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University.
2003-Present   Director of Research, Otolaryngology-HNS, Case Western Reserve University
2003-2007     Associate Professor, Secondary Appointment in the Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University.
2003-Present    Member of the Institutional Animal care and Use Committee, Case Western Reserve University
2006-Present    Member, Case Research Institute Advisory Board
2007-Present   Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Case Western Reserve University
2007-Present   Associate Professor, Secondary Appointment in the Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University.
2007-Present    Associate Professor, Secondary Appointment in the Department of Genetics, Case Western Reserve University.
2008-Present    The Anthony J. Maniglia Endowed Chair for Research and Education, CWRU
 
Honors and Awards
1998-2000   National Research Service Award from the NIH, USA. 1994 Science Alliance Research Award, University of Tennessee, USA. Awarded to a graduate student at the Univ. of TN. for outstanding scholarly achievement
1984-85     National Junior Research Fellowship, Awarded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for Post-Graduate Research and Training, Government of India.
1983       Graduated (B.Sc.) with First Rank in the College, University of Madras, India
Publications
1. Alagramam, K. N. , J. Perry, M. Basrai, F. Naider, and J.M. Becker. (1993) Cloning of peptide transport genes from Eucaryotes. Proceedings of t he Thirteenth American Peptide Symposium.
2. Alagramam, K. N. , Naider, F., and Becker, J. M. (1995) A recognition component of the ubiquitin system is required for peptide transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Molecular Microbiology 15(2), p225-234.
3. Woychik, R. P. and Alagramam, K. N. (1998) Insertional mutagenesis in transgenic mice generated by the pronuclear microinjection procedure. Intl. J. Dev. Biol. 42, p1009-1017.
4. Alagramam, K. N ., Kwon, H. K., Cacheiro, N.L.A. Stubbs, L., Wright, G. C., Erway, L. C. and Woychik, R. P. (1999) A New Mouse Insertional Mutation That Causes Sensorineural Deafness and Vestibular Defects. Genetics 152, p1691-1699.
5. Alagramam, K. N. , Zahorsky-Reeves, J., Erway, L. C., Pawlowski, K.S., Wright, C. G. and Woychik, R. P. (2000) Neuroepithelial defects of the inner ear in a new allele of Ames waltzer. Hearing Research 148, p181-191.
6. Alagramam, K. N ., Rohrbaugh, C. L., Kwon, H. K., Pawlowski, K.S., Wright, G. and Woychik, R. P. The mouse Ames waltzer hearing loss mutation is associated with a novel protocadherin gene. Nature Genetics 27, p99-102.
7. Alagramam, K. N ., H. Yuan, M. H. Kuehn, C. L. Murcia, S. Wayne, C. R. Srikumari Srisailpathy, R. B. Lowry, R. Knaus, L. V. Laer, F. P. Bernier, S. Schwartz, C. Lee, C. C. Morton, R. F. Mullins, A. Ramesh, G.V.Camp, G.S. Hagemen, R. P. Woychik, R. J.H. Smith. et. al (2001) Mutations in the novel protocadherin PCDH15 cause Usher syndrome type 1F. Human Molecular Genetics 10, p1709-1718.
8. Hampton , L.L., Cahill, T., Wright, C. G., Alagramam, K. N ., Battey, J. F., K. Noben-Trauth (2003) A new spontaneous mutation in the mouse Ames waltzer gene, Pcdh15. Hearing Research 180(1-2):67-75.
9. Ball, S., Bardenstein, D., and K. N. Alagramam. (2003) Assessment of retinal structure and function in Ames waltzer mice. Invest. Opth. Vis. Sci. 44(9): 3986-3992.
10. Washington, J. W., Davis, R. R., Wright, C. G., Alagramam, K. N. (2005) Characterization of a new ENU allele of Ames Waltzer. Hearing Research 202(1-2):161-169.
11. Adato A, El-Amraoui A, Kikkawa Y, Alagramam K.N. , Weil D, Yonekawa H, El-Amraoui A, Petit C. (2005) Interactions in the Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1) proteins network. Human Molecular Genetics 14(3):347-356.
12. K.N. Alagramam , Stahl, J.S., Jones, J.S., Pawlowski, K. P., C.G. Wright (2005) Characterization Of Vestibular Dysfunction In The Mouse Model For Usher Syndrome 1F. JARO 6(2):106-18.
13. Jones, S.M., Johnson, K.R., Yu, H., Erway, L.C., Alagramam, K.N. Pollak, N. and T. Jones. (2005) A quantitative survey of gr a vity receptor function in mutant mouse strains. JARO 6(4):297-310.
14. Semaan MT, Alagramam KN, Megerian CA. (2005) The basic science of Meniere's disease and endolymphatic hydrops. Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 13(5):301-7.
15. Pawlowski, K. P., C.G. Wright, and K.N. Alagramam . (2006) Progression of inner ear pathology in Ames waltzer mice and the role of protocadherin 15 in hair cell development. JARO Jun;7(2):83-94.
16. Pagedar, N., Wang, W., Chen, D., Wright, C.G., Davis, R., and Alagramam, K.N. (2006) Gene Expression Analysis Of Specific Cell Types Isolated From The Mouse Inner Ear Using Laser Capture Microdissection. Brain Res. May 26;1091(1):289-99.
17. Zheng Q. Y., Rozanas, C. R., Isolde T; Mark, C. R., Alagramam, K. N. (2006) Inner Ear Gene Expression and Proteomics of Mouse Models for Deafness, a Discovery Strategy. Brain Res. 1091:113-21.
18. Davis , R. R., Kuo, M-W, Stanton , S., Canlon, B., Krieg, E., Alagramam, K.N. (2006) No Protection from Premature Presbycusis by N-Acetyl Cysteine in C57BL/6J Mice. Hearing Research Aug 21; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 16930891.
19. Yerukhimovich, MV, Bi, L., Chen, H-C, Miller, RH, Alagramam, K.N . (2006) Identification and Characterization of Mouse Cochlear Stem Cells. Dev. Neuroscience 2006 Oct 17; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 17047322.
20. K. L. Hall, D. R. Pitts, S. Anne, M. T. Semaan, K.N. Alagramam , C. A. Megerian. (2006) Optimization of RNA Detection from Archival Guinea Pig Temporal Bone Specimens. Otol. Neurotol. Jan;28(1):116-23. PMID: 16983313 .
21. Zheng, QY., H. Yu, J.L. Washington III, L.B. Kisley, K. S. Pawlowski, C.G. Wright, K.N. Alagramam . (2006) A New Spontaneous Mutation in the Mouse Pcdh15 Gene. Hear. Res. 219(1-2):110-20.
22. Anne, S., Kisley, L, Tajuddin, S.T., Leahy, P., Alagramam, K.N. , Megerian, C. A. (2007) Molecular Changes Associated with Endolymphatic Hydrops. Otol. Neurotol. (in press).
23. Alagramam, K. N., Miller , N. D., Adappa, N.A., Pitts, D. R., Heaphy, J. C. Yuan, H., R. J. Smith (2007), Promoter, Alternative splicing and Genomics Structure of Protocadherin 15. Genomics 90, p482-92. Epub 2007 Aug 15.
24. C.A. Megerian., Semaan, M., Kisley, L., Zheng, Q.Y., Pawlowski, K.S., Wright, C.G.,  Alagramam, K. N (2008) A Mouse Model with Pathologic Correlates Associated with Meniere's Disease.  Hearing Research (In press).
25. Kikkawa, Y.S., Pawlowski, K.S., Wright, C.G., Alagramam, K.N. (2008) Development of Outer Hair Cells in Normal and Ames Waltzer Mice: Cuticular Plate and Associated Structures.  Anatomical Records 291, p224-32. 
26. Bixenstine, P.J., Maniglia, M.P., Vasanji, A., Alagramam, K.N. , Megerian, C.A. (2008) Spiral Ganglion Degeneration Patterns in Endolymphatic Hydrops.  Laryngoscope (In press).