1968 B.A. State University of New York, Buffalo

1971 M.S. University of California at Davis

1976 Ph.D. Developmental Genetics, University of California at Davis

1977-1980 Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Biology/Developmental Neurobiology, Massachussetts Institute of Technology

1980-1982 Assistant Professor, Rutgers University

1983-1989 Assistant Professor, Dept. Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL

1989-present Associate Professor, Dept. Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL

1995-1996 Visiting Professor, Burnham Institute, La Jolla CA

2008 Professor, Dept. Physiology and Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL

 

My research focuses on the initiation of inflammation, autophagy and apoptosis in the CNS after traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. Our results demonstrate that the inflammatory response after CNS injury involves activation of inflammasomes and autophagy. Our current work seeks to understand the physiological functions of these signaling pathway after CNS injury that may provide promising and unique therapeutic strategies applicable to the treatment of CNS injury and disease.

 

From Left to Right:Gregory Bigford, Angela Davis, Robert W. Keane, Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari

 

 

Motor neurons in the ventral horn of the cervical spinal cord express the inflammasome protein NLRP1, and the neuronal marker, MAP-2 at 6 hours after moderate contusive injury.  The high-resolution (100X) confocal image shows that NLRP1 is present in patches in the cell soma and near the plasma membrane in cell processes.  Sections were double-stained with NLRP1 (red) and MAP2 (green). For details see de Rivero Vaccari et al., 2008.

 

1. Silverman WR, de Rivero Vaccari JP, Locovei S, Qiu F, Carlsson SK, Scemes E, Keane RW, Dahl G. The pannexin 1 channel activates the inflammasome in neurons and astrocytes.J Biol Chem. 2009 Jul 3;284(27):18143-51. Epub 2009 May 5.
2. Bigford GE, Alonso OF, Dietrich D, Keane RW. A novel protein complex in membrane rafts linking the NR2B glutamate receptor and autophagy is disrupted following traumatic brain injury.J Neurotrauma. 2009 May;26(5):703-20.
3. Wang J, Ma M, Locovei S, Keane RW, Dahl G. Modulation of membrane channel currents by gap junction protein mimetic peptides: size matters.Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2007 Sep;293(3):C1112-9. Epub 2007 Jul 25.
4. de Rivero Vaccari JP, Lotocki G, Marcillo AE, Dietrich WD, Keane RW (2008) A molecular platform in neurons regulates inflammation after spinal cord injury. J. Neurosci. 28: 3404-3414.
5. Davis AR, Lotocki G, Marcillo AE, Dietrich WD, Keane RW (2007) FasL, Fas, and death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) are recruited to membrane rafts after spinal cord injury. J. Neurotrauma 24:823-834
6. Keane RW, Davis AR, Dietrich WD (2006) Inflammatory and apoptotic signaling after spinal cord injury. J. Neurotrauma 23(3-4):335-44.
7. Lotocki G, Alonso OF, Dietrich WD, Keane RW (2004) Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and its signaling intermediates are recruited to lipid rafts in the traumatized brain. J Neurosci. 24(49):11010-6.
8. Lotocki G, Alonso OF, Frydel B, Dietriech WD, Keane RW (2003) Monoubiquitination and cellular redistribution of XIAP in neurons after traumatic brain injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metabolism 23:1129-1136.
9. Katz, LM, Lotocki G, Wang Y, Kraydieh S, Dietrich WD, Keane RW (2001) Regulation of caspases and XIAP after asphyxial cardiac arrest in rats. Neuroreport 12:3751-3754.
10. Keane RW, Kraydieh S, Lotocki G, Aldana P, Dietrich WD (2001) Apoptotic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms following traumatic brain injury. J. Cereb. Blood Flow and Metab. 21:1189-1198.
11. Keane RW, Kraydieh S, Lotocki G, Bethea, JR, Krajewski S, Reed JC and Dietrich WD (2001) Apoptotic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms following spinal cord injury. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 60:422-429.