Christopher P. Turner, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Texas Medical Branch (1993)



The neonatal period in rat brain development is thought to closely correspond to the perinatal period in humans, covering the last trimester and early post-natal periods. It has been known for some time that the developing brain responds differently to injury compared to the adult brain. In addition, signaling pathways normally associated with neuro-protection in the adult brain can elicit brain injury if triggered in neonatal brains but only during a narrow window of vulnerability. Understanding the significance of this neonatal difference could lead to new insights into a number of neuropathologies ranging from mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and schizophrenia, all of which may have their origins in brain injury that occurs during the perinatal period in humans. Based on my own and work by other scientists, I have recently developed the hypothesis that changes in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) can influence cell survival during development. Specifically, that the cell has a "set-point" [Ca2+]i at which cell survival is optimal. Pertubations above or below this set-point can lead to cell death. Currently, evidence suggests that increases in [Ca2+]i above the set-point leads to necrotic cell death, while decreases in [Ca2+]i below the set-point leads to apoptotic cell death. I hope that my work will establish precise mechanisms that explain why the neonatal brain is vulnerable to injury at specific times using this calcium set point hypothesis as a basis for experimental strategies.

Selected Publications:

Turner CP, Seli M, Ment L, Stewart W, Yan, H, Johansson B, Fredholm B, Blackburn M, Rivkees SA (2003) A1 Adenosine Receptors Mediate Hypoxia-Induced Ventriculomegaly. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (in press).

Turner CP, Yan H, Othman T, Schwartz M, Rivkees SA (2002) A1 adenosine receptor activation induces periventricular leukomalacia. Neuroreport 13:1199-1204.

Turner CP, Pulciani D, Rivkees SA (2002) Reductions in intracellular Ca2+ induces neuronal injury. Exptl Neurol 178:21-32.

Rivkees SA, Zhao Z, Porter G, Turner CP (2001) Influences of adenosine on the fetus and newborn. Mol Genet Metab 74:160-71.

Turner CP, Panter SS, Sharp FR (1999) Anti-oxidants prevent focal rat brain injury as assessed by induction of heat shock proteins (HSP70, HO-1/HSP32, HSP47) following subarachnoid injections of lysed blood. Brain Res Mol Brain Res 65:87-102.

Turner CP, Matz P, Bergeron M, Zegna A, Noble L, Panter SS, Sharp FR (1998) HemeOxygenase-I (HO-1, HSP32) is induced in microglia throughout brain by subarachnoid hemoglobin. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 18:257-273.

e-mail: cpturner@wfubmc.edu