The research projects in my laboratory center on the role of the neuronal cytoskeleton in neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, we are studying the recently described mutations in the neurofilament light chain gene that are linked to Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies by cellular and molecular approaches. We are also interested in a family of cytoskeletal linker proteins, called plakins that are known to link cytoskeletal elements to each other and to junctional complexes. Mutations in plakins are also known to cause neurodegenerative diseases, as well as skin diseases.
Dr. Ronald Liem is a Professor of Pathology and Anatomy & Cell Biology and a member of the Center for Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University, where he has been since 1987. He is also Director of the Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biophysical Studies and Associate Director of the MSTP program. He was previously a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology at New York University School of Medicine from 1978-1987. He received his Ph.D. in Biophysical Chemistry at Cornell University and carried out post-doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Medical School prior to joining the faculty at NYU.
| 1975-78 |
Harvard Medical School, Post-doctorate, Neuroscience |
| 1973-75 |
University of Pennsylvania, Post-doctorate, Biochemistry |
| 1973 |
Cornell University, Ph.D. Biophysical Chemistry |
| 1967 |
Amherst College, B.A., Chemistry |
| 1980-84 |
NINCDS Research Career Development Award |
| 1984-88 |
Irma T. Hirschl Career Award |
| 1986-93 |
Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award |
- Leung, C.L., Sun, D., Zheng, M., Knowles, D.R. and Liem, R.K.H. Microtubule
Actin Cross-Linking Factor (MACF): A hybrid of dystonin and dystrophin
that can interact with the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons. J. Cell
Biol. 147:1275-1285 (1999).
- Leung C.L., Zheng M., Prater S,M and Liem R.K.H. The BPAG1 locus: alternative
splicing produces multiple isoforms with distinct cytoskeletal linker
domains, including predominant isoforms in neurons and muscles. J. Cell
Biol. 154: 691-697 (2001).
- Perez-Olle, R., Leung, C.L. and Liem, R.K.H.: Effects of Charcot-Marie-Tooth
linked mutations of the neurofilament light subunit (NFL) on intermediate
filament formation. J. Cell Sci. 115:4937-46 (2002).
- Jefferson, J. and Liem, R.K.H. Plakins, Goliaths at the interface of
cell junctions and the cytoskeleton. Nature Revs. Cell Mol. Biol. 5:542-553.
(2004).
- Perez-Olle R, Jones ST, Liem R.K.H. Phenotypic analysis of neurofilament
light gene mutations linked to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease in cell culture
models. Hum Mol Genet. 2004 13:2207-20 (2004)
- Lin C.M, Chen H.J, Leung C.L, Parry D.A, and Liem R.KH. Microtubule
actin crosslinking factor 1b: a novel plakin that localizes to the Golgi
complex. J Cell Sci. 118:3727-38 (2005)
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