Hasan Orhan Akman

Hasan Orhan Akman, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Neurological Sciences (in Neurology) at Columbia University Medical Center. His research focuses on metabolic disorders causing neuromuscular diseases, specifically glycogen storage disorders and their neurological implications.

Dr. Akman specializes in glycogen metabolism disorders, particularly glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD IV) and adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD). His laboratory develops mouse models carrying the Y329S mutation in the GBE1 gene to study polyglucosan accumulation in muscle, heart, liver, and nervous tissue. Current work characterizes neuromuscular and behavioral impacts while testing FDA-approved compounds to inhibit polyglucosan formation through collaboration with Dr. Minassian at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.

His research explores cellular mechanisms for breaking down pathological polyglucosan bodies, with therapeutic implications extending to Pompe disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. The laboratory aims to identify treatable compounds within two years to prevent tissue accumulation and mitigate neurodegeneration.