LOW Chian Ming PhD Head & Principal Investigator Glutamate Receptor Lab National Neuroscience Institute 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng Singapore 308433 Tel: (65) 357-7629 (65) 6357-7632 Fax: (65) 6256-9178 Email : chian_ming_low@nni.com.sg

RESEARCH AREAS

• Functional and structural studies of glutamate receptor
• Search for novel endogenous ligands on modulation of glutamate receptors
• Cellular and molecular bases of neural plasticity towards an understanding of learning and memory - role of glutamate receptors
• Channelopathies in neurological disorders

EDUCATION, TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

• B.Sc.(Pharmacy), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 1992
• M.Sc.(Biopharmacy) (Distinction), King's College, University of London, U.K., 1993
• Ph.D.(Pharmacology), National University of Singapore, Singapore, 1998
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory University, U.S.A., 1998-2000
• Research Scientist, Defence Medical Research Institute, Singapore, 2000-2001
• Registered pharmacist, Singapore Pharmacy Board, Singapore, since 1994

CURRENT APPOINTMENTS

• Research fellow, Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Research Faculty, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore

HONOURS & AWARDS

• Overall best student (Biopharmacy), King's College, University of London, U.K., 1993
• Graduate research scholarship, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 1994-1998

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• Low C-M, Ulgen M and Gorrod JW
  
  The recognition of a diarylimine as a metabonate produced during incubation of N-benzyl-4-chloroaniline with hepatic microsomal preparations.J.Pharm.Pharmacol. (1994) 46:585-590.
  
• Low C-M, Yap EPH and Lee EJD
  
  Characterization of polymorphisms IVS25AS-6A®G, C1237T and T3409C in the human angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene.
  Pharmacogenetics. (1998) 8:361-364.
  
• Low C-M, Zheng F, Lyuboslavsky P and Traynelis SF
  
  Molecular determinants of coordinated proton and zinc inhibition of NMDA NR1/NR2A receptors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.(2000) 97:11062-11067.
  
• Zheng F, Erreger K, Low C-M, Banke T, Lee CJ, Conn PJ and Traynelis SF
  
  Allosteric interaction between the amino terminal domain and the ligand binding domain of NR2A Nature Neurosci. (2001) 4: 894-901.
  
• Low C-M, Lyuboslavsky P, French A et al.
  
  Structural determinants of proton sensitive NMDA receptor gating.
  (Submitted, 2002).

Synopsis of Research Focus

• Functional and structural studies of glutamate receptor N-terminal domains
  We are currently studying the regulation of NMDA receptors by endo- (Zn, protons) and exogenous (ifenprodil) modulators using structural biology and electrophsyiology (patch-clamp recording)
• Search for novel endogenous ligands on modulation of glutamate receptors
  The search for novel ligands that regulate NMDA receptors at the extracellular surface has received little attention compared to the identification of molecules interacting with the cytoplasmic domains of NMDA receptors despite their apparent therapeutic potentials. We propose to search for these novel endogenous neuropeptides using rat brain extracts.

TEAM MEMBERS

Core members

• Dr Low Chian Ming (Head & Principal Investigator)
• Esther Wong Siew Peng (Postdoctoral Fellow)
• Goh Siok Kun (Research Assistant/Lab Manager)
• Loh Wai Lin (Research Assistant)
• Yu Chye Yun (Research Assistant)

  Laboratory Tel: (65) 6357-7632

Collaborators

Singapore

• A/Prof Soong Tuck Wah, National Neuroscience Institute
• A/Prof F-S Sheu, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore
• A/Prof Peter Wong TH, Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore
  

USA

• A/Prof Stephen F Traynelis, Department of Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Prof Cheng Xiaodong, Department of Biochemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA