Stephen C. Cannon

Stephen C. Cannon, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Physiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He holds academic appointments in Physiology and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. His primary research focuses on ion channelopathies of skeletal muscle, investigating how ion channel mutations cause diseases such as periodic paralysis and myotonia. He has held leadership roles, including Chair of Physiology at UCLA and Associate Dean at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Education: B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Washington University, 1980), Medical Scientist Training Program at Johns Hopkins (MD and PhD). Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and postdoctoral training with David Corey. Faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, UT Southwestern, and UCLA since 2015.

Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of ion channel mutations in muscle diseases, computational modeling of muscle excitability, and pre-clinical therapeutic strategies. Key discoveries include sodium channel defects in periodic paralysis and gating pore currents in calcium channels. Current projects explore exercise-induced triggers for periodic paralysis attacks.

Awards: Over 20 awards, including the Biophysical Society Award (2022), MERIT Award (NIH, 2009), and multiple endowed chairs in neurology and neuromuscular disease.

Lab: The Cannon Lab at UCLA focuses on ion channel dysfunction and develops mouse models to study disease mechanisms. Collaborations include translational research on drug repurposing for periodic paralysis treatment.