Yukun Yuan, Assistant
Professor1978-83 B.M. (M.D. equivalent), Medicine/Public Health, Henan Medical University, China
1983-1985 Assistant lecturer, Occupational Diseases, Toxicology, Henan Medical University, China
1985-88 M.M. (M.S. equivalent), Toxicology, Beijing Medical University, China
1993-97 PhD., Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
1988-90 Lecturer, Toxicology, Beijing Medical University, China
1991-93 Visiting Scientist, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
1997-00 Postdoctoral Fellow, Ophthalmology, University of Michigan
2000-present Assistant Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University
Research Synopsis
My primary research interest is neurotoxicology. Studies are focued primarily on chemicals such as the environmental contaminants and solvents on synaptic function (including visual synaptic transmission from the retina to the visual cortex) in the mammalian central nervous system. Particular questions include why some chemicals selectively or preferentially target at certain population or type of neurons or regions of the brain, and what is the cellular and molecular basis responsible for these preferential effects. My second research direction is the channelopathies or neurological disorders due to mutation or dysfunction of certain ion channels in the early developing brain or during ageing.
Current Projects
Neurotoxicity of methylmercury in the visual cortex.
Selected Publications Since 2001
Shimura M, Yuan Y, Chang JT, Zhang S, Campochiaro PA, Zack DJ, Hughes BA: Expression and permeation properties of the K+ channel Kir7.1 in the retinal pigment epithelium. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 531(Pt 2): 329-346, 2001.
Buraczynska M, Mears AJ, Zareparsi S, Farjo R, Filippova E, Yuan Y, MacNee SP, Hughes B, Swaroop A: Gene expression profile of native human retinal pigment epithelium. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 43(3): 603-607, 2002.
Yuan Y, Shimura M, Hughes BA: Regulation of inwardly rectifying K+ channels in retinal pigment epithelial cells by intracellular pH. J. Physiol. 549(2): 429-438, 2003.
Yuan Y, Atchison WD: Methylmercury differentially affects GABAA receptor-mediated spontaneous IPSCs in purkinje and granule cells of rat cerebellar slices. J. Physiol. 550: 191-204, 2003.
Yuan, Y. And Atchison, W.D.: Electrophysiological Studies of Neurotoxicants on central synaptic transmission in acutely isolated brain slices. In Current Protocols in Toxicology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Unit 11.11, pp 11.11.1-11.11.38, 2003.
Yuan, Y. and Atchison, W.D.: Methylmercury induces a spontaneous, transient slow inward chloride current in Purkinje cells of rat cerebellar slices. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 313:751-764, 2005.
Yuan, Y., Otero-Montanez, J.K.L., Yao, A., Herden, C.F., Sirois, J.E. and Atchison W.D.: Inwardly rectifying and voltage-gated outward potassium channels exhibit low sensitivity to methylmercury. Neurotoxicology, 26:439-454, 2005.