Laboratory of Behavior and Molecular Psychiatry

Albert Pinhasov Ph.D.

Tel: +972-3-9371480
Fax: +972-3-9371422
E-mail: albertpi@ariel.ac.il

Education

1990 - 1994 B.Sc. Gorkey Academy of Medicine, Russia.
1996 - 1998 M.Sc. in Molecular Biology with distinction, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
1998 - 2002 Ph.D. in Clinical Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Thesis: “Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP): gene expression, knockout mice generation and the effect of ADNP deficiency on genetic and developmental aspects". Supervisor: Prof. Illana Gozes.

Positions Held

2008 - Head, Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University Center (AUC) of Samaria, Ariel, Israel.
2007 - Research Coordinator, Integrative Brain Science Center - Ariel
2006 - Senior Lecturer, Department of Molecular Biology, Ariel University Center (AUC) of Samaria, Ariel, Israel.
2005 - 2006 Lecturer, Department of Molecular Biology, College of Judea and Samaria, Ariel, Israel.
2005 - 2005 Senior Scientist, Tel Aviv University Authority for Applied Research and Industrial Development Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel
2002 - 2004 Postdoctoral Fellow, Drug Discovery CNS Research Team, Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Spring House, PA, USA. Supervisor: Dr. Douglas E. Brenneman, CNS Biology Team Leader.
1998 - 2002 Teaching Assistant, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Awards and Fellowships

1998 - 2002 Buchman Foundation Fellowship.
2001 Young Investigator Award, 22nd Annual Winter Neuropeptide Conference.
2002 Award of Switzerland Institute for Developmental Biology.
2003 J&J Vision Award in recognition of the automation and validation of an animal model paradigm for human depression.
2004 Young Investigator Award, Journal of Brain Research.

Research Support

2009 - Ministry of Health – (Primary Investigator): PACAP and its receptors: relevance to depression and action of antidepressants
2008 - 2011 – (Co-investigator) Development of Incensol acetate and derivatives for the use as antidepressant and anti-anxiety pharmacotherapy

Teaching

Developmental Biology.
Advanced methods in Molecular Biology.
Molecular regulatory mechanisms in cells.
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry.
Biochemistry and Microbiology laboratory course.

Activities at the University:

Cofounder (together with Prof. Ester Fride) of the 'Integrative Brain Science Center-Ariel' (IBSCA)
Responsible for Seminars organizations in the Department of Molecular Biology
Member of University Disciplinary Committee.

Contributions to the Israeli Society

Member of Bashaar - Academic Community for Israeli Society.
Lectures in public schools during Brain Awareness weeks.

Professional Affiliations

International Society for Neuroscience
Israel Society for Neuroscience
Israel Society for Biological Psychiatry
International Behavioral Neuroscience Society

MSc. Candidates

Serah Lisson
Emanuel Stanciu

Graduated M.Sc. students

2005-2008 - M.Sc. Michal Reichenstein "Involvement of Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) and its Receptors in the Mechanism of Antidepressant Action and the Etiology of Affective Disorders" In collaboration with Prof. Moshe Rehavi (Tel Aviv University)
2007-2009 - M.Sc. Yuval Feder "Selective Breeding for Dominant and Submissive Behavior in Sabra Mice" In collaboration with Prof. Gal Yadid (Bar Ilan University)
2007-2009 - M.Sc. Yevgenia Shneider "PACAP and its receptors in development and mechanism of antidepressant action" In collaboration with Prof. Gal Yadid (Bar Ilan University)
2008-2010 - M.Sc. Yael Shtrauss "Examination of synergistic activity between PACAP and IGF" In collaboration with Prof. Benjamin Sredni (Bar Ilan University)
2008-2011 - M.Sc. Ariel Ogran "Neurotrophic status of dominant - submissive behavior" In collaboration with Prof. Benjamin Sredni (Bar Ilan University)
2010-2012 - M.Sc. Moshe Gross "Molecular and behavioral characterization of the antidepressant-like action of Incensole acetate derived from Boswellia resin" In collaboration with Prof. Gal Yadid (Bar Ilan University)

PhD. Candidates

Shimon Rabichev 2010 - (Under joint supervision with Dr. Nira Mashal, Bar Ilan University).
Elimelech Nesher 2011 - (Under joint supervision with Prof. Gal Yadid, Bar Ilan University).
Moshe Gross 2012 - (Under joint supervision with Dr. Izhak Michaelevsky, Tel-Aviv University).

Graduated PhD. students

Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr. Uri Kuznezov 2009- Selective Effect of Herbal Compounds on Dominant – Submissive Behavior

Research Interests

1. Molecular biology of affective disorders, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology.
2. Discovery of potent protective agents and molecular biomarkers for affective disorders.
3. Design, validation and application of animal models for drug discovery.
4. Design, development and validation of high throughput screening assays for G-protein coupled receptors.

Lists of Publications

1. Zamostiano R., Pinhasov A., Bassan M., Perl O., Steingart R.A, Atlas R., Brenneman D.E. and Gozes I. A femtomolar-acting neuroprotective peptide induces increased level of heat shock protein 60 in rat cortical neurons: a potential neuroprotective mechanism. Neuroscience Letters, 264: 9-12, 1999. 152 Kb
2. Gozes I., Bassan M., Zamostiano R., Pinhasov A., Davidson A., Giladi E., Perl O., Glazner G. and Brenneman D.E. A Novel signaling molecule for neuropeptide action: Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein. Neuropeptides: structure and function in biology and behavior. Ann. N Y Acad. Sci, 897: 125-135, 1999.
3. Gozes I., Giladi E., Pinhasov A., Bardea A. and Brenneman D.E. Activity-Dependent Neurotrophic Factor: Intranasal administration of femtomolar-acting peptides improve performance in a water maze. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 293: 1091-1098, 2000. 141 Kb
4. Bassan M., Zamostiano R., Davidson A., Pinhasov A., Giladi E., Perl O., Bassan H., Blat C., Gibney G., Glazner G., Brenneman D.E. and Gozes, I. Complete sequence of a novel protein containing a femtomolar- activity-dependent neuroprotective peptide. J Neurochemistry, 72: 1283-1293, 1999. 268 Kb
5. Gozes I., Zamostiano R., Pinhasov A., Bassan M., Giladi E., Steingart R.A. and Brenneman D.E. A novel VIP responsive gene. Activity dependent neuroprotective protein. Ann N Y Acad Sci, 921:115-8, 2000. 366 Kb
6. Zamostiano R., Pinhasov A., Gelber E., Steingart R.A., Seroussi E., Giladi E., Bassan M., Wollman Y., Eyre H.J., Mulley J.C., Brenneman D.E. and Gozes I. Cloning and characterization of the human activity-dependent neuroprotective protein. J Biol Chem,. 276: 708-714, 2001. 988 Kb
7. Gozes I., Alcalay R., Giladi E., Pinhasov A., Furman S., Brenneman D.E. NAP accelerates the performance of normal rats in the water maze. J Mol Neurosci, 19:167-70, 2002. 83 Kb
8. Poggi S.H, Vink J., Goodwin K., Hill J.M., Brenneman D.E., Pinhasov A., Gozes I. and Spong C.Y. Differential expression of embryonic and maternal activity-dependent neuroprotective protein during mouse development. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 187: 973-976, 2002.
9. Steingart R., Heldenberg E., Pinhasov A., Brenneman D.E., Fridkin M. and Gozes I. A vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor analog alters the expression of homeobox genes. Life Sci, 71: 2543 – 2552, 2002. 183 Kb
10.Shinar Y., Livneh A., Villa Y., Pinhasov A., Zeitoun I., Kogan A., Achiron A.. Common mutations in the familial Mediterranean fever gene associate with rapid progression to disability in non-Ashkenazi Jewish multiple sclerosis patients. Genes Immun, 4:197-203, 2003. 123 Kb
11. Zaltzman R., Beni SM., Giladi E., Pinhasov A., Steingart R.A., Romano J., Shohami E. and Gozes I. Injections of the neuroprotective peptide NAP to newborn mice attenuate head-injury-related dysfunction in adults. Neuroreport, 14:481-4, 2003.
12. Ilyin S.E., Pinhasov A., Vaidya A.H., Amato F.A., Kauffman J., Xin H., Andrade-Gordon P., Plata-Salam?n. C. and Brenneman D.E. Emerging paradigms in applied bioinformatics. Biosilico, 3: 86-88, 2003. 130 Kb
13. Pinhasov A., Mandel S., Torchinsky A., Giladi E., Pittel Z., Goldsweig A.M., Servoss S.J., Brenneman D.E. and Gozes I. Activity-Dependent Neuroprotective Protein: a novel gene essential for brain formation. Dev. Brain Research, 144: 83-90, 2003. 467 Kb
14. Xin H., Bernal A., Amato F.A., Pinhasov A., Kauffman J., Brenneman D.E., Derian C.K., Andrade-Gordon P., Plata-Salam?n C.R. and Ilyin S.E., High Throughput siRNA-based Functional Target Validation, Journal of Biomolecular Screening, 9: 286-93, 2004.
15. Brenneman DE., Spong CY., Hauser JM., Abebe D., Pinhasov A., Golian T., Gozes I. Protective peptides that are orally active and mechanistically non-chiral. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 309: 1190-7, 2004. 221 Kb
16. Pinhasov A., Mei J., Amaratunga D., Amato F.A., Lu H., Kauffman J., Xin H., Brenneman D.E., Johnson D., Andrade-Gordon P. and Ilyin S.E. Gene expression analysis for high throughput screening applications. Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening. 7: 133-40, 2004.
17. Pinhasov A., Ilyin S.E., Crooke J., Amato F.A., Vaidya H.A., Rosenthal D., Brenneman D.E. and Malatynska E. Different levels of gamma-synuclein mRNA in the cerebral cortex of dominant, neutral and submissive rats selected in the competition test. Genes, Brain Behavior, 4:60-4, 2005. 90 Kb
18. Bassan H, Bassan M, Pinhasov A., Kariv N, Giladi E, Gozes I, Harel S. The pregnant spontaneously hypertensive rat as a model of asymmetric intrauterine growth retardation and neurodevelopmental delay. Hypertension in Pregnancy, 24:201-11, 2005.
19. Pinhasov A., Crooke J, Rosenthal D, Brenneman DE, Malatynska E. Reduction of submissive behavior model for antidepressant drug activity testing: study using a video-tracking system. Behavioral Pharmacology, 16:657-64, 2005.
20. Malatynska E, Pinhasov A., Crooke J, Horowitz D, Brenneman DE. and Ilyin SI. Levels of mRNA coding for alpha-, beta-, and gamma-synuclein in the brains of newborn, juvenile, and adult rats. Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 29:269-77, 2006. 271 Kb
21. Busciglio J, Pelsman A, Helguera P, Ashur-Fabian O, Pinhasov A, Brenneman DE, Gozes I. NAP and ADNF-9 protect normal and Down's syndrome cortical neurons from oxidative damage and apoptosis. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 13:1091-8, 2007.
22. Malatynska E, Pinhasov A, Crooke JJ, Smith-Swintosky VL, Brenneman DE. Reduction of dominant or submissive behaviors as models for antimanic or antidepressant drug testing: Technical considerations. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 165:175-82, 2007. 671 Kb
23. Vulih-Shultzman I, Pinhasov A, Mandel S, Grigoriadis N, Touloumi O, Pittel Z, Gozes I. Activity-dependent neuroprotective protein snippet NAP reduces tau hyperphosphorylation and enhances learning in a novel transgenic mouse model. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 323:438-49, 2007. 623 Kb
24. Malatynska E, Pinhasov A, Creighton CJ, Crooke JJ, Reitz AB, Brenneman DE, Lubomirski MS. Assessing activity onset time and efficacy for clinically effective antidepressant and antimanic drugs in animal models based on dominant-submissive relationships. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 31:904-19, 2007. 423 Kb
25. Reichenstein M., Rechavi M and Pinhasov A. Involvement of Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) and its Receptors in the Mechanism of Antidepressant Action. Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 36(1-3):330-8, 2008. 278 Kb
26. Friedman A., Frankel M., Flaumenhaft Y., Merenlender A., Pinhasov A., Feder Y., Taler M., Gil-Ad I., Abeles M., Yadid G. (2008). Programmed Acute-Electrical-Stimulation of ventral tegmental area Alleviates Depressive-Like Behavior. Psychoneuropharmacology 34(4):1057-66, 2009. 199 Kb
27. Feder, Y., Nesher, E., Ogran, A., Kreinin, A., Malatynska, E., Yadid, G. & Pinhasov A. 2010. Selective breeding for dominant and submissive behavior in Sabra mice. J Affect Disord 126(1-2): 214-222. 972 Kb
28. Shneider Y., Shtrauss Y., Yadid G., Pinhasov A. 2010. Differential expression of PACAP receptors in postnatal rat brain. Neuropeptides. 2010 Dec;44(6):509-14
29. Karyo R., Eskira Y., Pinhasov A., Belmaker R., Agam G., Eldar-Finkelman H. 2010. Identification of eukaryotic elongation factor-2 as a novel cellular target of lithium and glycogen synthase kinase-3. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2010 Dec;45(4):449-55.
30. Pinhasov A., Nesher E., Gross M., Turgeman G., Kreinin A., Yadid G. 2011. The Role of the PACAP Signaling System in Depression. Curr Pharm Des, v. 17, p. 990-1001.
31. Nesher, E., Peskov, V., Rylova, A., Raz, O. & Pinhasov A. 2012. Comparative analysis of the behavioral and biomolecular parameters of four mouse strains. J Mol Neurosci 46: 276-284.
32. Abookasis, D., Zafrir, E., Nesher, E., Pinhasov A., Sternklar, S., and Mathews, M.S. 2012, Diffuse near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy during heatstroke in a mouse model: pilot study: J Biomed Opt, v. 17, p. 105009.
33. Schechter, M., Pinhasov A., Weller, A., and Fride, E. 2012, Blocking the postpartum mouse dam's CB1 receptors impairs maternal behavior as well as offspring development and their adult social-emotional behavior: Behav Brain Res, v. 226, p. 481-92.
34. Moussaieff, A., Gross, M., Nesher, E., Tikhonov, T., Yadid, G., and Pinhasov A. 2012, Incensole acetate reduces depressive-like behavior and modulates hippocampal BDNF and CRF expression of submissive animals: J Psychopharmacol, v. 26, p. 1584-93.
35. Nesher, E., Gross, M., Lisson, S., Tikhonov, T., Yadid, G., and Pinhasov A. 2013, Differential responses to distinct psychotropic agents of selectively bred dominant and submissive animals: Behav Brain Res, v. 236, p. 225-35.

Patents

1. Methods of inhibiting cancer cells with ADNF III antisense oligonucleotides. Gozes I., Zamostiano R., Gelber E., Pinhasov A., Bassan M. (all of Tel Aviv University), Brenneman D.E (NICHD) Serial No.: 09/364,609 filed 30 Jul 1999.
2. Orally active peptides that prevent cell damage and death. Brenneman D.E., Spong C.Y., (both of NICHD), Gozes I., Pinhasov A., Giladi E. (all of Tel Aviv University) Serial No.: 60/149,956 filed 18 Aug. 1999.