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Physiologist, Professor Lichtstein, Chair in Heart Studies at The Hebrew University elected Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

Professor David Lichtstein Elected Dean of Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine

December 2, 2013

Jerusalem — Professor David Lichtstein has been elected dean of the Faculty of Medicine at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Lichtstein is the Walter & Greta Stiel Chair in Heart Studies at The Hebrew University. He replaces Professor Eran Leitersdorf, who recently completed his four-year term as dean.

According to Professor Lichtstein, “The Hebrew University’s Faculty of Medicine is devoted to creating innovative teaching, research and patient care programs that will meet the demands of 21st century health care. As global health care moves towaProfessor David Lichtsteinrd prevention, wellness and cost effectiveness, we are adapting how we train the next generation of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and biomedical researchers. Through fruitful collaborations between preclinical and clinical faculty, we are also translating basic biomedical insights into clinical treatments. Thus, the Faculty of Medicine is well-positioned to maintain its leading role in the scientific community of Israel and the world.”

Professor Lichtstein was born in Lodz, Poland, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1957. As a student at The Hebrew University, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology and Zoology in 1970, followed by a Master’s degree in Physiology in 1972 and a Ph.D. in Physiology in 1977. He joined the Department of Physiology of The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School in 1980 as a lecturer, and received full professorship in 1994. Prof. Lichtstein has held many roles at The Hebrew University and its Faculty of Medicine, including Chairman of the Neurobiology Teaching Division, Chairman of the Department of Physiology, Chairman of the Institute for Medical Sciences and, until recently, Chairman of the Faculty of Medicine. From 2007 to 2011, Professor Lichtstein was the Jacob Gitlin Chair in Physiology at The Hebrew University. In 2011 he was named the Walter & Greta Stiel Chair in Heart Studies at The Hebrew University. He also served as the President of the Israel Society for Physiology and Pharmacology from 1996 to 1999.

From 1977-1979 Professor Lichtstein was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology in New Jersey. He was a visiting scientist at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1985-1986) and the Eye Institute (1997-1998) at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, and a visiting professor at the Toledo School of Medicine in Ohio (2007).

Professor. Lichtstein’s main research focus is the regulation of ion transport across the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. His work led to the discovery that specific steroids that were known to be present in plants and amphibians are actually normal constituents of the human body and have crucial roles, such as the regulation of cell viability, heart contractility, blood pressure and brain function. His research has implications for the fundamental understanding of body functions, as well as for several pathological states such as heart failure, hypertension and neurological and psychiatric diseases.

SOURCE

http://www.afhu.org/professor-david-lichtstein-elected-dean-hebrew-universitys-faculty-medicine

Field of Study

Regulation of ion transport across the plasma membrane:
The primary focus of the research in my laboratory is the regulation of ion transport across the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. In particular, we study the main transport system for sodium and potassium, the sodium-potassium-ATPase, and its regulation by cardiac steroids.
Specific areas of interest:
Identification of endogenous cardiac steroids in mammalian tissue; The biological consequences of the interaction of cardiac steroids with the sodium-potassium-ATPase; Biosynthesis of the cardiac steroids in the adrenal gland; Effects of endogenous sodium-potassium-ATPase inhibitors on cell differentiation; Determination of the levels of endogenous sodium-potassium-ATPase inhibitors in pathological states, including hypertension, preeclampsia; malignancies (cancer) and manic depressive illnesses; Involvement of the sodium-potassium–ATPase/cardiac steroids system in depressive disorders; Involvement of the sodium-potassium-ATPase/cardiac steroids system in cardiac function; Involvement of intestinal signals in the regulation of phosphate homeostasis; Volume regulation and its involvement in the mitogenic response.
Cardiac Steroids and the Na+, K+-ATPase and Cardiac Steroids
Cardiac steroids, such as ouabain, digoxin and bufalin are hormones synthesized by and released from the adrenal gland and the hypothalamus. These compounds, the structure of which resembles that of plant and amphibian and butterfly steroids, interact only with the plasma membrane Na+, K+-ATPase (Figure 1). This interaction elicits numerous specific biological responses affecting the function of cells and organs.
Topics Currently under investigation include
Cardiac Steroids
  • Ouabain
  • Bufalin
  • Dogoxin
Involvement of the sodium-potassium–ATPase/cardiac steroids system in depressive disorders
Depressive disorders, including major depression, dysthymia and bipolar disorder, are a serious and devastating group of diseases that have a major impact on the patients’ quality of life, and pose a significant concern for public health. The etiology of depressive disorders remains unclear. The Monoaminergic Hypothesis, suggesting that alterations in monoamine metabolism in the brain are responsible for the etiology of depressive disorders, is now recognized as insufficient to explain by itself the complex etiology of these diseases. Data from our and other laboratories has provided initial evidence that endogenous cardiac steroids and their only established receptor, the Na+, K+-ATPase, are involved in the mechanism underlining depressive disorders, and BD in particular. Our study (Biol. Psychiatry. 60:491-499, 2006) has proven that Na+, K+-ATPase and DLC are involved in depressive disorders particularly in manic-depression. We have also shown that specific genetic alterations in the Na+, K+-ATPase α isoforms are associated with bipolar disorders (Biol. Psychiatry, 65:985-991, 2009). Our recent study in this project (Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 22:72-729, 2012) showed that drugs affecting the Na+, K+-ATPase/cardiac steroids system are beneficial for the treatment of depression. Hence our work is in accordance to the proposition that mal functioning of the Na+, K+-ATPase/cardiac steroids system may be involved in manifestation of depressive disorders and identify new compounds as potential drug for the treatment of these maladies.
Involvement of the sodium-potassium-ATPase/cardiac steroids system in cardiac function
The classical and best documented effect of cardiac steroids, as their name implies, is to increase the force of contraction of heart muscle. Indeed, cardiac steroids were widely used in Western and Eastern clinical practices for the treatment of heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Despite extensive research, the mechanism underlying cardiac steroids actions have not been fully elucidated. The dogmatic explanation for cardiac steroids-induced increase in heart contractility is that the inhibition of Na+, K+-ATPase by the steroids causes an increase in intracellular Na+ which, in turn, attenuates the Na+/Ca++ exchange, resulting in an increased intracellular Ca++ concentration, and hence greater contractility. However, recent observations led to the hypothesis that the ability of cardiac steroids to modulate a number of intracellular signaling processes may be responsible for both short- and long-term changes in CS action on cardiac function. We are addressing this hypothesis using the zebrafish model and our ability to quantify heart function in-vivo. Heart contractility measurements were performed using a series of software tools for the analysis of high-speed video microscopic images, allowing the determination of ventricular heart diameter and perimeter during both diastole and systole. The ejection fraction (EF) and fractional area changes (FAC) were calculated from these measurements, providing two independent parameters of heart contractility (see attached movie bellow). We are currently testing the effect of cardiac steroids in the presence and absence of intracellular signaling pathways (MAP, AKT, IP3R) inhibitors. Reduction in the steroids ability to increase the force of contraction will serve as the first evidence, in-vivo, for the participation of the signaling processes in the molecular mechanisms responsible for the action of cardiac steroids on heart muscle.
Laboratory Techniques
We employ a broad range of preparations and techniques. These include isolated organs (arterial rings, smooth and cardiac muscle strips) and isolated nerve endings, as well as primary and established tissue-cultured cells. Our studies involve the application of biochemical and immunological techniques (transport and enzymatic activity measurements, RIA, ELISA), molecular biological techniques (e.g., Western and Northern blotting, and PCR), protein purification (HPLC), cellular techniques muscle contractility, cell proliferation and differentiation’ in-vivo measurements of heart contractility and blood flow in Zebrafish and behavior measurements in rodents.

Biography

Education
1970
B.Sc. in Physiology and Zoology, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
1970-1972 M.Sc. in Physiology, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
1973-1977
Ph.D., Department of Physiology, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. (Thesis: “Increased Production of Gamma Aminobutyryl choline in Cerebral Cortex Caused by Afferent Electrical Stimulation” (Thesis Advisors: Prof. J. Dobkin and Prof. J. Magnes).
1977-1979
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physiological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Positions held

1970-1972
Teaching and Research Assistant, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
1972-1974 Assistant Instructor, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
1975-1977 Instructor, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
1977-1979
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physiological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, New Jersey, U.S.A.
1979-1983
Lecturer, (REVSON fellowship) Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
1981 (summer)
Visiting Scientist, Department of Physiological Chemistry and Pharmacology, Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
1983-1987 Senior Lecturer, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
1985-1986
Visiting Scientist, Laboratory of Theoretical and Physical Biology, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
1988-1994 Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
1994-present Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
1997-1998 Visiting Scientist, Laboratory of Mechanisms of Ocular Diseases, NEI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
2007 (summer)
Visiting Professor, Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, Metabolism and cardiovascular Sciences, Medical Center University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
2007-2011 Jacob Gitlin Chair in Physiology, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
2011-present ​Walter & Greta Stiel Chair in Heart Studies, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Professional Membership
1979-present International Society of Neurochemistry
1979-present Israel Society for Physiological and Pharmacological
1980-present Society of Neurosciences (Europe)
1986-present The American Society of Hypertension
1992-present Israeli Society for Neurosciences
1999-present The American Physiological Society
Editorial Tasks
Serving as a Reviewer for the scientific journals:
American Journal of Hypertension Journal of Neural Transmission
American Journal of Physiology Journal of Neurochemistry
Apoptosis Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications Life Sciences
Basic Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology NANO
Brain Research Neurochemistry International
Bioconjugate Chemistry Neuroscience
Cell Calcium Neurotoxicity Research
Clinical Science Pathophysiology
Endocrinology Physiology and Behavior
European Neuropsychopharmacology PNAS
General and Comparative Endocrinology Psychiatry Research
Hypertension Translational Research
Journal of Cell Sciences
University and Other Activities
1982-1985 Chairman of the Neurobiology Teaching Division, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1988-1994 Elected representative of the Senior Lecturers and Associate Professors for the University Senate
1989-1997 Member of the admission committee of the Medical School, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1990-1996 Member of the Committee for cellular biology of the graduate studies, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1992-1996 Member of the Teaching Committee, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1992-1996
Chairman, Department of Physiology, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem
1994-1997 Member of the Committee for graduate studies, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1992-2002
Member of the Management Committee of The Institute for Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
1996-1999
President of the Israel Society for Physiology and Pharmacology
1998- 2002 Chairman, Institute of Medical Sciences, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem
1999-2002 Member of the Planning and Development Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
2007–Present Elected representative of the Professors for the executive University Senate
2008-2012 Member of the Planning and Development Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
2008-2012 Chairman, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem
2009 – Present Elected member of the Senate to the Executive Committee of the Hebrew University

PUBLICATIONS 2006 – 2012

Search By:  Author Abeles, M Abramovitch, R Allweis, C Altuvia, S Amedi, A Amster-Choder, O Anglister, L Aqeilan, RI Aronovitch, Y Bachrach, U Baniyash, M Barak, V Barenholz, Y Bar-Shalita, T Bar-Shavit, R Bar-Shavit, Z Bar-Tana, J Becker, Y Behar, O Ben-Ishay, Z Benita, S Ben-Neriah, Y Benny, O Ben-Or, S Ben-porath, I Ben-Sasson, S Ben-Sasson, SZ Ben-Shaul, Y Ben-Yehuda, S Bercovier, H Berger, M Bergman, H Bergman, Y Berry, E Bialer, M Binshtok, AM Blum, G Brandes, R Brautbar, C Breuer, E Cedar, H Chevion, M Chinitz, D Citri, N Cohen, A Cohen, E Deutsch, J Dikstein, S Domb, A Dor, Y Dror, OE Dzikowski, R Elkin, M Engelberg-Kulka, H Even-Ram, S Eyal, S Fainsod, A Feintuch, U Friedlander, y Friedman, M Gallily, R Gatt, S Gerlitz, O Gertz, SD Gibson, D Glaser, G Goelman, G Goldberg, I Goldberg, JA Goldblum, A Golenser, J Golomb, G Golos, A Gordon, A Gorinstein, S Gorodetsky, R Granot, Z Greenblatt, CL Greenwald, T Gross, E Grover, N Gutman, Y Hahn-Markowitz, J Hamburger, J Hanani, M Hanski, E Hartman-Maeir, A Hellman, A Hochner, H Hoffman, A Honigman, A Horowitz, M Ilani, A Inbal, A Jaffe, CL Jarrous, N Kaempfer, R Kalcheim, C Kanner, BI Kapitulnik, J Karni, R Katz, E Katzav, S Katz-Brull, R Katzhendler, J Kedar, E Keren, N Keshet, E Klar, A Kohen, R Konijn, A Kotler, M Langer, D Laskov, R Lazarovici, P Levi-Schaffer, F Lev-Tov, A Lichtstein, D Liebergall, M Lorberboum-Galski, H Magen, H Mandelboim, O Manor, O Margalit, H Matok, I Mechoulam, R Meiri, H Melloul, D Meyuhas, O Minke, B Mishani, E Mitrani-Rosenbaum, S Mumcuoglu, K Naor, D Naveh-Many, T Neumark, Y Nussinovitch, I Oppenheim, A Ornoy, A Panet, A Paroush, Z Parush, S Peled, A Pikarsky, E Pines, O Priel, A Prut, Y Rachmilewitz, J Rahamimoff, H Ravid, S Razin, A Razin, E Razin, S Reich, R Reshef, L Richter, E Ringel, I Rokem, JS Rom, M Ron, A Rosen, H Rosenshine, I Rotenberg-Shpigelman, S Rotshenker, S Rottem, S Rubinstein, A Samueloff, S Samuni, A Sasson, S Schlein, Y Schlesinger, M Schueler-Furman, O Sharon, D Sharon, R Shaulian, E Shlomai, J Shmueli, A Shohami, E Shtarkshall, R Shurki, A Simon, I Smith, P Sohmer, H Sperling, D Steinitz, M Stern-Bach, Y Tal, M Taraboulos, A Ta-Shma, R Tirosh, B Touitou, E Trachtenberg, S Traub, R Treinin, M Tsvelikhovsky, D Vaadia, E Warburg, A Weinstock, M  Weintraub, N Weiss, D Weiss, R Wiener, R Wormser, U Yaari, Y Yagen, B Yaka, R yanai, J Yavin, E Yedgar, S Yefenof, E Yisraeli, JK Yochman, A Yogev, D Yosselson-Superstine, S Zajicek, G Zakay-Rones, Z  Sort By:  Year Descending Year Ascending  Text:
Dvela, M., Rosen, H., Ben-Ami, H. C., Lichtstein, D.
American journal of physiology. Cell physiology, 302(2), C442-52, 2012
Goldstein, I., Lax, E., Gispan-Herman, I., Ovadia, H., Rosen, H., Yadid, G., Lichtstein, D.
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 22(1), 72-9, 2012
Nesher, M., Shpolansky, U., Viola, N., Dvela, M., Buzaglo, N., Cohen Ben-Ami, H., Rosen, H., Lichtstein, D.
British journal of pharmacology, 160(2), 346-54, 2010
Guttmann-Rubinstein, L., Lichtstein, D., Ilani, A., Gal-Moscovici, A., Scherzer, P., Rubinger, D.
Hormone and metabolic research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et metabolisme, 42(4), 230-6, 2010
Jaiswal, M. K., Dvela, M., Lichtstein, D., Mallick, B. N.
Journal of sleep research, 19(1 Pt 2), 183-91, 2010
Nesher, M., Dvela, M., Igbokwe, V. U., Rosen, H., Lichtstein, D.
American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 297(6), H2026-34, 2009
Goldstein, I., Lerer, E., Laiba, E., Mallet, J., Mujaheed, M., Laurent, C., Rosen, H., Ebstein, R. P., Lichtstein, D.
Biological psychiatry, 65(11), 985-91, 2009
Nesher, M., Vachutinsky, Y., Fridkin, G., Schwarz, Y., Sasson, K., Fridkin, M., Shechter, Y., Lichtstein, D.
Bioconjugate chemistry, 19(1), 342-8, 2008
Dvela, M., Rosen, H., Feldmann, T., Nesher, M., Lichtstein, D.
Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology / ISP, 14(3-4), 159-66, 2007
Feldmann, T., Glukmann, V., Medvenev, E., Shpolansky, U., Galili, D., Lichtstein, D., Rosen, H.
American journal of physiology. Cell physiology, 293(3), C885-96, 2007
Chirinos, J. A., Corrales-Medina, V. F., Garcia, S., Lichtstein, D. M., Bisno, A. L., Chakko, S.
Clinical rheumatology, 26(4), 590-5, 2007
Lichtstein, D. M., Arteaga, R. B.
The American journal of the medical sciences, 332(2), 103-5, 2006
Morla, D., Alazemi, S., Lichtstein, D.
Journal of general internal medicine, 21(7), C11-3, 2006
Chirinos, J. A., Corrales, V. F., Lichtstein, D. M.
Clinical rheumatology, 25(1), 111-2, 2006
Deutsch, J., Jang, H. G., Mansur, N., Ilovich, O., Shpolansky, U., Galili, D., Feldman, T., Rosen, H., Lichtstein, D.
Journal of medicinal chemistry, 49(2), 600-6, 2006
Goldstein, I., Levy, T., Galili, D., Ovadia, H., Yirmiya, R., Rosen, H., Lichtstein, D.
Biological psychiatry, 60(5), 491-9, 2006
Chirinos, J. A., Garcia, J., Alcaide, M. L., Toledo, G., Baracco, G. J., Lichtstein, D. M.
American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions, 6(1), 9-14, 2006
Rosen, H., Glukmann, V., Feldmann, T., Fridman, E., Lichtstein, D.
Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France), 52(8), 78-86, 2006

SOURCE

https://medicine.ekmd.huji.ac.il/En/Publications/publications/Pages/default.aspx?aut=Lichtstein,%20D

 

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Heroes in Medical Research: Dr. Carmine Paul Bianchi Pharmacologist, Leader, and Mentor

Writer/Curator: Stephen J. Williams, Ph.D.

Article ID #83: Heroes in Medical Research: Dr. Carmine Paul Bianchi Pharmacologist, Leader, and Mentor. Published on 10/29/2013

WordCloud Image Produced by Adam Tubman

Past articles in this Heroes in Medical Research series had focused on those seemingly small discoveries, sometimes gained serendipitously and through careful observation and experimentation, which led to some of our most important breakthroughs of our time.  I have tried to make the posts more about the people and less about the discoveries

However, though seminal discoveries are so important to the future of science (and should be celebrated), equally if not MORE IMPORTANT is the MENTORING of future scientists and the PROMOTION of fields of study.  One person who exemplified these values was Dr. Carmine Paul Bianchi, who had recently just passed away this August, and will be sorely missed in the field of pharmacology and toxicology.

For those who were not familiar with Dr. Bianchi I have curated some pertinent information about his work as a scientist, professor and Chairman in pharmacology, and leader and spokesperson for the field of pharmacology.  He was one of the founders of the Mid-Atlantic Pharmacology Society and was an advocate and influential in the careers of many pharmacologists and toxicologists.

Comments from fellow colleagues are very welcome (in comment section at end of post)

The following is separated in 3 sections:

  • An obituary from the Philadelphia Inquirer
  •  A section of the history of the Pharmacology Department at Thomas Jefferson University where Dr. Bianchi was Chairman
  • A few important textbooks and scientific articles he had authored

 

Carmine Paul Bianchi, 86, pharmacology professor

Paul Bianchi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carmine Paul Bianchi

By Bonnie L. Cook, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: August 20, 2013

Carmine Paul Bianchi, 86, of Boothwyn, a professor of pharmacology in Philadelphia for many years, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, of a digestive ailment at Taylor Hospice House in Ridley Park.

Born in Newark, N.J., and raised in Maplewood, Dr. Bianchi served as an Army surgical technician in Tilton General Hospital at Fort Dix from 1945 to 1947.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Columbia University in 1950, a master’s in physiology and biochemistry from Rutgers University in 1953, and a doctorate in physiology and physical chemistry in 1956 from Rutgers.

In the 1950s, he did research at Rutgers and was a public health fellow and visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland.

From 1961 to 1976, he held a number of jobs in the department of pharmacology in the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. That culminated in his being named professor of pharmacology.

Dr. Bianchi left in 1976 for Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, where he became pharmacology professor and chairman of the pharmacology department from 1976 to 1987. In 1987, he stepped down from the chairmanship but remained professor of pharmacology. He retired in 1997 as professor emeritus.

Dr. Bianchi was a member of many professional groups, including the New York Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He was a leader and author in pharmacology, helping edit an industry journal and making himself available for consultation to medical examiners and experts in toxicology.

He wrote or contributed to three books and 200 scientific papers and lectured widely. He enjoyed mentoring medical and graduate students.

His family called Dr. Bianchi “a true renaissance man” who was as comfortable discussing English, history, and politics as he was the sciences.

 

 

 

The following was taken from a history of  Department of Pharmacology  at Thomas Jefferson University  and can be viewed at: http://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=wagner2

 

 

Carmine Paul Bianchi, Ph.D;

Third Chairman (1976-1986)

The new Chairman of the Department, effective

July 1, 1976, was Carmine Paul Bianchi, Ph.D.

(Figure 8-3) from the University of Pennsylvania

School of Medicine, where he had been Professor

of Pharmacology since [969 and a member of the

faculty of that Department since 1961.

Dr. Bianchi was born on April 9, [927, in

Newark, New Jersey. After receiving his diploma

at Columbia High School in 1945, he spent two

years in the Army Medical Corps as Technical Sgt.

Fourth Grade. He then attended Columbia

University, where he majored in chemistry and

obtained the B.A. degree in 1950. Like Dr.

Gruber, the first Chairman of the Pharmacology

Department at Jefferson, Bianchi earned his Ph.D.

in physiology. He pursued his graduate studies at

Rutgers University, supplementing his physiology

major with a biochemistry minor for the M.S.

degree in [953 and with a physical chemistry minor

for the Ph.D. degree in 1956. Dr. Bianchi then

spent several years at the National Institutes of

Health-two years as a Public Health Fellow and

one as a Visiting Scientist. Following that he was

Assistant Member of the Institute for Muscle

Disease in New York for one year. In 1961 Dr.

Bianchi became classified professionally as a

pharmacologist by becoming an Associate in the

Department of Pharmacology at the University of

Pennsylvania School of Medicine. There he

advanced to Professorship in 1969 and remained

until he came to Jefferson. The evolution of Dr.

Bianchi’s career from physiology to pharmacology

was the logical result of his investigations of the

effect of various drugs on the metabolism and

distribution of some of the important elements of

the body, notably calcium. His major field of

interest became classified and remained in

electrolyte pharmacology.

Throughout his career Dr. Bianchi has been

very active in the affairs of outside professional

organizations. He is a member of the American

Society for Pharmacology and Experimental

Therapeutics, the American Physiological Society,

the American Chemical Society, and the

International Society of Toxicology, to name

only a few. He served as President of both the

Philadelphia Physiological Society and the John

Morgan Society in the same year (1973-1974), and

of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Society for

Neuroscience (1979-1980). He gave much time

and valuable services as Field Editor for the

Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental

Therapeutics ([970-1979) and as a member of the

Pharmacology Section of the National Board of

Medical Examiners (1981-1985).

After Dr. Bianchi became Chairman no

immediate changes in the general structure and

activities of the Department took place. He

enlarged the Department and filled vacancies

occasioned by the retirement of some faculty

members. The didactic schedules and subject

matter offered to the medical and graduate

students underwent only minor annual changes.

Research activities were augmented by the

addition of Dr. Bianchi’s specialty in electrolyte

pharmacology and the appointments of new staff

members for investigations in that and related

flelds. Through the following decade there was a

marked change in the faculty structure of the

Department. The [975 Jefferson catalogue, for

example, listed 15 faculty appointments in

Pharmacology, of which eight were on a primary

full-time basis with offices and laboratories in the

Department. In 1985 there were 36 faculty

appointments of which eight were on a primary

full-time basis. The large increase in the total

number of faculty resulted from adjunct

appointments from outside organizations and from

secondary appointments of faculty members of the

Clinical Departments at Jefferson. This expansion

reflected a broadening of interests and interactions

on both the scientific and clinical fronts in clinical

pharmacology and clinical toxicology.

A notable addition to the faculty of the

Department in 1978 was Dr. Hyman Menduke

as Professor of Pharmacology

(Biostatistics). After receiving his Ph.D. in

Economic Statistics at the University of

Pennsylvania, Menduke came to Jefferson in 1953

as Assistant Professor of Biostatistics with no

official Departmental affiliation until 1963, when

he was appointed Professor of Preventive

Medicine (Biostatistics). When Dr. Menduke first

came to Jefferson he gave a ten-hour course in

biostatistics to the second-year medical students in

time provided during their pharmacology course.

Through the years his offerings expanded to a

12-hour course for freshman medical students and

introductory and advanced courses for graduate

students. An early and valuable contribution was a

series of individual conferences with graduate

students on the statistical planning of their

research problems and the later analysis of their

data.

 

The interests and activities of the Department in

research in toxicology have been emphasized.

Toxicology continued as an important part of the

research program after Dr. Bianchi became

Chairman in 1976, although under his direction

the major emphasis in research became redirected

toward the general areas of cell pharmacology and

neuropharmacology.

In accord with its continuing research and

teaching activities in toxicology, the Department

starting in 1977 organized a series of annual

workshops on Industrial Toxicology sponsored by

the College of Graduate Studies. These were

four-day symposia on important toxicologic

problems in industry and the general environment,

presented by toxicologically involved Jefferson

faculty and by invited experts from other

universities, industry, and government.

In 1979 the Department was awarded a training

grant in Industrial and Environmental Toxicology

by the National Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences. The purpose of this award was to

provide postdoctoral training in toxicology for

individuals who had previously received their

Ph.D. degrees in other sciences. Ten M.S. degrees

were subsequently awarded in this program

through the years from 1981 to 1986.

On December 14, 1978, a full day’s workshop

with outside invited experts was held to discuss

the formation of a Toxicology Center and the

establishment of a Chair in Toxicology-Pathology

to broaden the base of research and training in

toxicology at Jefferson. It was envisioned that the

Center would be an administrative Division within

the Department of Pharmacology, with research

participation from other basic science departments

and the Department of Medicine. Although funds

accumulated in support of a Toxicology Center,

disagreements developed relating to the

administrative base of the Center.

 

A few articles from Dr. Bianchi showing the diversity of his research interests including calcium mobilization, neurotoxicology, and cellular metabolism and physiology.

Muscle fatigue and the role of transverse tubules.

Bianchi CP, Narayan S.

Science. 1982 Jan 15;215(4530):295-6. No abstract available.

 

Effect of adenosine on oxygen uptake and electrolyte content of frog sartorius muscle.

Prosdocimi M, Bianchi CP.

J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1981 Jul;218(1):92-6.

 

The effect of diazepam on tension and electrolyte distribution in frog muscle.

Degroof RC, Bianchi CP, Narayan S.

Eur J Pharmacol. 1980 Aug 29;66(2-3):193-9.

 

Steady state maintenance of electrolytes in the spinal cord of the frog.

Bianchi CP, Erulkar SD.

J Neurochem. 1979 Jun;32(6):1671-7. No abstract available.

An in-vitro model of anesthetic hypertonic hyperpyrexia, halothane–caffeine-induced muscle contractures: prevention of contracture by procainamide.

Strobel GE, Bianchi CP.

Anesthesiology. 1971 Nov;35(5):465-73. No abstract available.

 

The effects of psychoactive agents on calcium uptake by preparations of rat brain mitochondria.

Tjioe S, Haugaard N, Bianchi CP.

J Neurochem. 1971 Nov;18(11):2171-8. No abstract available.

 

The effect of veratridine on sodium-sensitive radiocalcium uptake in frog sartorius muscle.

Johnson P, Bianchi CP.

Eur J Pharmacol. 1971 Sep;16(1):90-9. No abstract available.

 

The function of ATP in Ca2+ uptake by rat brain mitochondria.

Tjioe S, Bianchi CP, Haugaard N.

Biochim Biophys Acta. 1970 Sep 1;216(2):270-3. No abstract availabl

 

The effects of pH gradients on the uptake and distribution of C14-procaine and lidocaine in intact and desheathed sciatic nerve trunks.

Strobel GE, Bianchi CP.

J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1970 Mar;172(1):18-32. No abstract available

 

 

More articles by CP Bianchi  can be found at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Bianchi%20CP[auth]

The following is one of the seminal books Dr. Bianchi authored:

 

Role of Calcium Channels of the Sarcolemma and the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum in Skeletal Muscle Functions

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2F978-1-4615-3362-7_17/lookinside/000.png

AND

Advances in General and Cellular Pharmacology (1976)

Toshio Narahashi; Carmine Paul Bianchi

The author of the Advances in General and Cellular Pharmacology is Toshio Narahashi; Carmine Paul Bianchi – very good writer. You can download this e-book absolutely for free. This ebook’s ISBN number is 9781461582007. if you were searching for for free download of kindle books, google books, free pdf books, pdf ebooks, e-books, pdf files or pdf ebooks just stay here for a while, download what you wanted for free and enjoy!

Advances in General and Cellular Pharmacology – Toshio Narahashi; Carmine Paul Bianchi – PDF Free Download Ebook also for Kindle

 

Other articles in this series published on this site include:

Heroes in Medical Research: Dr. Robert Ting, Ph.D. and Retrovirus in AIDS and Cancer

Heroes in Medical Research: Barnett Rosenberg and the Discovery of Cisplatin

Volume Two: Interviews with Scientific Leaders

 

 

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