Download Curriculum Vitae

Kartik Venkatachalam, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology
University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX
Education

Ph.D. in Biochemistry (1998-2002)
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD

B.S. in Biochemistry (1994-1997)
University of Delhi, India
Professional Positions

Assistant Professor (2010-Present)
Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology,
University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, TX

Research Associate (2008-2010)
Department of Biological Chemistry
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Post-doctoral Fellow (2003-2008)
Laboratory of Dr. Craig Montell, Department of Biological Chemistry
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Doctoral Student (1998-2002)
Laboratory of Dr. Donald L. Gill, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Research Awards and Honors

Daniel Nathans Young Investigator Research Award
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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1st Place, Post-doctoral Association Scientific Seminar Series
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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Post-doctoral award, Mucolipidosis IV Foundation
Teaching Awards

UT Medical School Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award 2012
Published Research Articles
1. Wong, CO., Li, R., Montell, C., and Venkatachalam, K. (2012) Drosophila TRPML is
Required for TORC1 Activation Curr. Biol. 22, 1616-1621.
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2. Venkatachalam, K., Wasserman, D., Wang, X., Li, R., Mills, E., Elsaesser, R., Li, HS., and Montell, C. (2010) Dependence on a Retinophilin/Myosin Complex for
Stability of PKC and INAD and Termination of Phototransduction J. Neurosci. 30,
11337-11345.
3. Venkatachalam, K., Long, A., Elsaesser, R., Nikolaeva, D., Broadie, K., and Montell,
C. (2008) Motor deficit in a Drosophila model of mucolipidosis type IV due to
defective clearance of apoptotic cells Cell 135, 838-851.
4. Venkatachalam, K., Hofmann, T., and Montell, C. (2006) Lysosomal Localization of
TRPML3 Regulated by Interactions with TRPML2 and Mucolipidosis-associated
Protein TRPML1 J. Biol. Chem. 281, 17517-17527.
5. Ma, H-T., Venkatachalam, K.*, Rys-Sikora, K.E., He, L-P., Zheng, F., and Gill, D.L.
(2003) Modification of Phospholipase C--Induced Ca2+ Signal-generation by 2Amino-ethoxydiphenyl Borate Biochem. J. 376, 667-676 (*- Joint First Author).
6. Venkatachalam, K., Zheng, F., and Gill, D.L. (2003) Regulation of TRPC Channel
Function by Diacylglycerol and Protein Kinase C J. Biol. Chem. 278, 29031-29040.
7. Ma, H-T., Venkatachalam, K., Parys, J.B., and Gill D.L. (2002) Modification of Storeoperated Channel-coupling and InsP3 Receptor-function by 2Aminoethoxydiphenylborate in DT40 Lymphocytes J. Biol. Chem. 277, 6915-6922.
8. Venkatachalam, K., Ma, H-T., Ford, D.L., and Gill, D.L. (2001) Expression of
Functional Receptor-Coupled TRPC3 Channels in DT40 Triple InsP3 ReceptorKnockout Cells J. Biol. Chem. 276, 33980-33985 (Featured in Faculty of 1000,
http://www.f1000biology.com/article/11466302/evaluation).
9. Ma, H-T, Venkatachalam, K.*, Li, H-S., Montell, C., Kurosaki, T., Patterson, R.L.,
and Gill, D.L. (2001) Assessment of the Role of the Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate
Receptor in the Activation of Transient Receptor Potential Channels and StoreOperated Ca2+ Entry Channels J. Biol. Chem. 276, 18888-18896 (*- Joint First
Author).
Published Reviews
1. Venkatachalam, K.*, Wong, CO., and Montell, C.* (2013) Feast or Famine: Role of
TRPML in Preventing Cellular Amino Acid Starvation Autophagy 9, 98-100 (Cover
Article)(*, corresponding authors)
2. Venkatachalam, K., and Montell, C. (2007) TRP Channels Ann. Rev. Biochem. 76,
387-417.
3. Kalra, D., Elsaesser, R., Gu, Y., and Venkatachalam, K.* (2007) Transducin in Rod
Photoreceptors - Translocated When Not Terminated J. Neurosci. 27, 6349-6351 (*Corresponding author).
4. Soboloff, J., Spassova, M., Hewavitharana, T., He, L-P, Luncsford, P., Xu, W.,
Venkatachalam, K., van Rossum, D., Patterson, R.L., and Gill, D.L. (2007) TRPC
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Channels: Integrators of Multiple Cellular Signals Handb. Exp. Pharmacol. 179, 575591.
5. Spassova, M.A., Soboloff, J., He, L-P., Hewavitharana, T., Xu, W., Venkatachalam,
K., van Rossum, D.B., Patterson, R.L., and Gill, D.L. (2004) Calcium Entry Mediated
by SOCs and TRP Channels: Variations and Enigma Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1742,
9-20.
6. Venkatachalam, K., Zheng, F., and Gill D.L. (2004) Control of TRPC and StoreOperated Channels by Protein Kinase C Novartis Found. Symp. 258, 172-185;
Discussion 185-188, 263-266.
7. Venkatachalam, K., van Rossum, D.B., Patterson, R.L., Ma, H-T., and Gill, D.L.
(2002) The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Store-Operated Calcium Entry Nat. Cell
Biol. 4, E263-E272.
Invited Talks
1. “RAGs to Riches” Mucolipidosis IV Foundation, Agenda Setting Conference, NY
(2013). Host, Ms. Rebecca Oberman and the ML4 Foundation.
2. “A Tale of Two Kinases: Consequences of Lysosomal Dysfunction” Department of
Pediatrics, UT Houston, TX (2012). Host, Dr. Karen Posey, UT Houston.
3. “Making Connections” Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, UTMBGalveston, TX (2012). Host, Dr. Darren Boehning, UTMB-Galveston.
4. “Drosophila Models of Human Neuropsychiatric and Neurodegenerative Diseases”
Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX (2011).
Host, Dr. Gregg Roman, Univ. of Houston.
5. “Drosophila Models of Human Neuropsychiatric and Neurodegenerative Diseases”
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UT Health, Houston, TX (2011).
Host, Dr. Eric Wagner, UT health.
6. “Evolving Paradigms of Sensory Transduction: Sensing the World Within” Annual
Research Retreat Day, UT Health, Houston, TX (2010). Host, Dr. John Byrne, UT
Health.
7. “Mechanism and Potential Therapy for the Childhood Neurodegenerative Disease,
Mucolipidosis IV” XXXVI International Congress of Physiological Sciences (IUPS),
Kyoto, Japan (2009). Host, Dr. Shmuell Muallem, UT Southwestern.
8. “TRP Channels and Neurodegenerative Disease” Young Investigator Award Day,
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (2009). Host, Dr. Randall Reed, JHMI.
9. “TRP Channels and Neurodegenerative Disease” National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, MD (2009). Hosts, Dr. Howard Nash, Chi-Hon Lee, NIMH.
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10. “TRP Channels and Neurodegenerative Disease” Departments of Neurology and
Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD (2009). Host, Dr.
Thomas Lloyd, JHMI.
11. “TRP Channels and Neurodegenerative Disease” National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, MD (2009). Host, Dr. Indu S. Ambudkar, NIDCR.
12. “Mechanism and Potential Therapy for the Childhood Neurodegenerative Disease,
Mucolipidosis IV” Johns Hopkins Post-doctoral Association Scientific Seminar
Series, Baltimore, MD (2008). Host, Johns Hopkins Post-doctoral Association
(JHPDA).
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