Rahul Srinivasan

Rahul Srinivasan, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics at Texas A&M University's School of Medicine. His research focuses on neurodegeneration, particularly Parkinson’s disease, exploring astrocyte roles and nicotine's neuroprotective mechanisms. He employs advanced techniques like AAV viral delivery, GCaMP-based calcium imaging, and electrophysiology. Dr. Srinivasan has a multidisciplinary educational background, including an MBBS from the University of Mumbai (2000), a PhD in Human Genetics (2006), and postdoctoral training at Caltech (Division of Biology) and UCLA (Department of Physiology). His work bridges molecular biology, neuroscience, and translational medicine.

Research Interests:

• Astrocyte Function: Investigating how astrocytes influence dopaminergic neuron survival in Parkinson’s disease models, including calcium signaling dynamics and mitochondrial health.
• Nicotinic Receptor Chaperoning: Elucidating nicotine’s 'inside-out' mechanism of reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress without activating nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), offering novel therapeutic avenues.
• Sex-Specific Neuroprotection: Studying estrogen’s role in enhancing cytisine efficacy in female Parkinsonian mice, highlighting gender-based therapeutic strategies.

Publications Highlight:

His recent work includes advancements in nanocarrier drug delivery (metformin via MOF-74-Mg), optogenetic modulation of addiction-related neural circuits, and novel Parkinsonism models using vasoconstrictors like endothelin-1. These studies underscore his commitment to understanding disease mechanisms and developing targeted therapies.

Education Timeline:

• MBBS, University of Mumbai, 2000
• PhD in Human Genetics, 2006
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Caltech Division of Biology, 2013
• Assistant Research Physiologist, UCLA Department of Physiology, 2016

Awards/Grants:

Not explicitly listed in the provided text, but his sustained research output suggests active grant support from NIH or similar funding bodies.

Labs & Collaborations:

Leads a lab focused on neurodegeneration mechanisms, collaborating with institutions on chaperone-based therapies and astrocyte-targeted interventions. Techniques include viral vector delivery, real-time calcium imaging, and in vivo behavioral assays.