Dane M. ChetkovichDane M. Chetkovich, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology and Physiology

303 East Chicago Ave, Ward 10-201
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 503-4362

Research Profile
Background
Fellowship Neurobiology research at Stanford University and University of California, San Francisco
Residency Neurology, University of California, San Francisco
Internship Baylor College of Medicine
Medical Degree Baylor College of Medicine
Clinical
Interests		 Mechanisms of ion channel function, plasticity and pathology. Cellular mechanisms of epilepsy and disorders of learning and memory
Research Interests Dr. Chetkovich’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that underlie the targeting of ion channels to synapses and other specialized areas of the dendrites of neurons. In particular, the lab is interested in the targeting of glutamate receptors (GluRs), molecules responsible for most of the excitatory communication in the brain of mammals.
Biography

Dr. Dane Chetkovich is an Assistant Professor of the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences at Northwestern University, and holds a joint appointment in Physiology.

Born in West Virginia and raised in Texas, Dr. Chetkovich completed undergraduate education at the University of Texas in 1988, then matriculated into the combined MD/PhD program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.  He completed his PhD in Neuroscience in 1992 studying the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory with Dr, J. David Sweatt, and completed his MD degree in 1994.  He went on to perform residency training in Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco where he became chief resident in 1997-1998, and became board certified in 2000.  He received a clinical appointment in Neurology at UCSF, and completed a simultaneous Postdoctoral Fellowship with Dr. David Bredt in July, 2002, studying molecular mechanisms of glutamate receptor synaptic targeting.

Dr. Chetkovich’s current research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that underlie the targeting of ion channels to synapses and other specialized areas of the dendrites of neurons.  In particular, the lab is interested in the synaptic targeting of ligand and voltage-gated ion channels, molecules responsible for controlling communication in the brain of mammals.  The laboratory’s approach utilizes a variety of cellular, molecular and electrophysiological tools to address the mechanisms by which ion channels are targeted to dendrites, as well as the role that this targeting plays in synaptic structure and function as it pertains to epilepsy and disorders of learning and memory such as Autism and Alzheimer’s disease.
Selected
Publications
  • Chen, L., Chetkovich, D. M., Petrailia, R., Sweeney, N., Kawaski, Y., Wenthold, R., Bredt, D. S. and Nicoll, R. A. (2000). Stargazin mediates synaptic targeting of AMPA receptors by two distinct mechanisms. Nature 408(21): 936-943.
  • El-Husseini, A. E., Schnell, E., Chetkovich, D. M., Nicoll, R. A. and Bredt, D. S. (2000). PSD-95 involvement in maturation of excitatory synapses. Science 290(5495): 1364-8.
  • Chetkovich, D. M., Bunn, R. C., Kuo, S.-H., Kawasaki, Y., Kohwi, M. and Bredt, D. S. (2002). Postsynaptic Targeting of Alternative Postsynaptic Density-95 Isoforms by Distinct Mechanisms. J. Neurosci. 22(15): 6415-6425.
  • Chetkovich, D. M., Chen, L., Stocker, T. J., Nicoll, R. A. and Bredt, D. S. (2002). Phosphorylation of the Postsynaptic Density-95 (PSD-95)/Discs Large/Zona Occludens-1 Binding Site of Stargazin Regulates Binding to PSD-95 and Synaptic Targeting of AMPA Receptors. J Neurosci 22(14): 5791-6.
  • Fullerton, H. J., Chetkovich, D. M., Wu, Y. W., Smith, W. S. and Johnston, S. C. (2002). Deaths from stroke in US children, 1979 to 1998. Neurology 59(1): 34-9.
  • Misawa, H., Sherr, E. H., Lee, D. J., Chetkovich, D. M., Tan, A., Schreiner, C. E. and Bredt, D. S. (2002). Identification of a monogenic locus (jams1) causing juvenile audiogenic seizures in mice. J Neurosci 22(23): 10088-93.
  • Cuadra, A.E., Kuo, S.-H., Kawasaki, Y., Bredt, D.S. and Chetkovich D.M.  (2004). AMPA receptor synaptic targeting regulated by stargazin interactions with the Golgi-resident PDZ protein, nPIST.  J Neurosci 24(34):7491-7502.
  • Shin, M., Simkin,D., Suyeoka, G.M. and Chetkovich, D.M. (2006). "Evaluation of HCN2 abnormalities as a cause of juvenile audiogenic seizures in Black Swiss mice." Brain Res 1083(1): 14-20.
  • Shin, M. and Chetkovich, D.M. (2007). " Activity-dependent regulation of h channel distribution in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons." Journal of Biol Chem, in press.