faculty photo

Marc A. Dichter, M.D., Ph.D.

Emeritus Professor of Neurology
Interim Director, Mahoney Institute of Neurological Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Neurology

Contact information
467 Stemmler Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6077
Office: (215) 349-5166
Fax: (215) 573-2107
Graduate Group Affiliations
Education:
B.A.
Queens College of the City University of New York, 1965.
Ph.D. (Neurophysiology)
New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science , 1969.
M.D.
New York University School of Medicine, 1969.
Post-Graduate Training
Medical Intern, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, 1969-1970.
Clinical Fellow in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 1969-1970.
Clinical Associate, Electroencephalography Laboratory, NINCDS, Bethesda, Maryland, 1970-1972.
Resident in Neurology, Harvard Longwood Program, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, 1972-1975.
Certifications
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, 1978.
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Description of Research Expertise

KEY WORDS:
Hippocampus; culture; epilepsy; GABA; glutamate; synapse; plasticity; deep brain stimulation.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Epilepsy; epileptogenesis; cortical physiology; regulation of synaptic function; pharmacology of inhibitory and excitatory amino acid receptors


RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
CNS tissue culture; intracellular recording; voltage clamping; patch clamping; immunohistochemistry; chronic eeg monitoring in small animals; brain stimulation


RESEARCH SUMMARY
Research focuses on basic mechanisms of epilepsy, the physiology and pharmacology of synaptic transmission between hippocampal neurons, the developmental cell biology of cortical and hippocampal neurons maintained in cell culture, and characteristics of pleuripotent neural progenitor cells. Ongoing projects include methods for brain stimulation to prevent epileptic seizures, mechanisms of epileptogenesis, preventing epilepsy after traumatic brain injury or status epilepticus, mechanisms of progenitor cell differentiation into neurons.

Description of Clinical Expertise

Clinical epilepsy, epilepsy in the aging population, the pharmacology of new antiepileptic drugs, anti-epileptogenesis after traumatic brain injury, biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases.

Selected Publications

O'Donnell, Lauren A. Agrawal, Arpita. Sabnekar, Praveena. Dichter, Marc A. Lynch, David R. Kolson, Dennis L.: Apelin, an endogenous neuronal peptide, protects hippocampal neurons against excitotoxic injury. Journal of Neurochemistry 102(6): 1905-17, Sep 2007.

Dalmau, Josep. Tuzun, Erdem. Wu, Hai-yan. Masjuan, Jaime. Rossi, Jeffrey E. Voloschin, Alfredo. Baehring, Joachim M. Shimazaki, Haruo. Koide, Reiji. King, Dale. Mason, Warren. Sansing, Lauren H. Dichter, Marc A. Rosenfeld, Myrna R. Lynch, David R.: Paraneoplastic anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis associated with ovarian teratoma.[see comment]. Annals of Neurology 61(1): 25-36, Jan 2007.

Dichter, Marc A.: Innovative clinical trial designs for future antiepileptic drugs. Epilepsia 48( Suppl 1): 26-30, 2007.

Tseng, Henry C. Ruegg, Stephan J. Maronski, Margaret. Messam, Conrad A. Grinspan, Judith B. Dichter, Marc A.: Injuring neurons induces neuronal differentiation in a population of hippocampal precursor cells in culture. Neurobiology of Disease 22(1): 88-97, Apr 2006.

O'Donnell, Lauren A. Agrawal, Arpita. Jordan-Sciutto, Kelly L. Dichter, Marc A. Lynch, David R. Kolson, Dennis L.: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced neurotoxicity: roles for the NMDA receptor subtypes. Journal of Neuroscience 26(3): 981-90, Jan 18 2006.

Dichter, Marc A.: Models of epileptogenesis in adult animals available for antiepileptogenesis drug screening. [Review] [34 refs] Epilepsy Research 68(1): 31-5, Jan 2006.

Ding, Shinghua. Messam, Conrad A. Li, Peiying. Selzer, Michael E. Dichter, Marc A. Haydon, Philip G.: Murine brain progenitor cells have the ability to differentiate into functional neurons and integrate into the CNS. Cell Transplantation 15(8-9): 699-710, 2006.

Chen, Jinqiu. Tseng, Henry C. Dichter, Marc A. Zhang, Hongtao. Greene, Mark I.: Differential localization of ErbB receptor ensembles influences their signaling in hippocampal neurons. DNA & Cell Biology 24(9): 553-62, Sep 2005.

Ances, Beau M. Vitaliani, Roberta. Taylor, Robert A. Liebeskind, David S. Voloschin, Alfredo. Houghton, David J. Galetta, Steven L. Dichter, Marc. Alavi, Abass. Rosenfeld, Myrna R. Dalmau, Josep.: Treatment-responsive limbic encephalitis identified by neuropil antibodies: MRI and PET correlates.[see comment]. Brain 128(Pt 8): 1764-77, Aug 2005.

Tseng, Henry C. Dichter, Marc A.: Platelet-derived growth factor-BB pretreatment attenuates excitotoxic death in cultured hippocampal neurons. Neurobiology of Disease 19(1-2): 77-83, Jun-Jul 2005.

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Last updated: 11/27/2013
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