Assistant Professor

Dr Pitchaiah Cherukuri

Department of Biological Sciences

Interests

  1. Spinal motoneuron diversity
  2. Neuromuscular plasticity
  3. Learning & memory

Faculty Details

Education

2005

YM College, Bharati Vidayapeeth, Pune,
India
BSc

2007

National Brain Research Centre (NBRC),
India
MSc

2012

International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences (IMPRS)/European Neuroscience Institute (ENI), Göttingen,
Germany
PhD

Experience

  • 2017–2021 - Research Associate at Interfaculty Chair for Neurobiological Research, RWTH, Aachen, Germany
  • 2012–2016 - Postdoctoral researcher at European Neuroscience Institute (ENI), Göttingen, Germany

Research Interest

  • The goal of our research is to understand the molecular underpinnings of spinal moto-neuron diversity and neuromuscular plasticity. We are particularly interested in under-standing the effects of enhanced or reduced activity on the neuromuscular system using rodent models. Following neuromuscular conditioning in mice, we plan to employ state of the art electrophysiological, molecular, and optophysiological tools to study motor unit plasticity. Also we aim to study mechanisms underlying exercise-mediated neuroprotection

Awards & Fellowships

  • 2009-2012 - Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB) - Excellence Fellowship for Research
  • 2008-2009 - IMPRS Neurosciences Fellowship
  • 2007-2008 - Stipend of the Excellence Foundation for the Promotion of the Max Planck Society

Memberships

  • International MotoNeuron Society

Publications

JOURNALS
  • ERR2 and ERR3 promote the development of gamma motor neuron functional properties required for proprioceptive movement control. Khan MN, Cherukuri P, Negro F, Rajput A, Fabrowski P, Bansal V, Lancelin C, Lee TI, Bian Y, Mayer WP, Akay T, M¨uller D, Bonn S, Farina D, Marquardt T. PLoS Biol, 2022 Dec 21;20(12):e3001923; https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001923.
  • Retinal Remodeling: Concerns, Emerging Remedies and Future Prospects. Vidhyasankar Krishnamoorthy*, Pitchaiah Cherukuri*, Deepak Poria, Manvi Goel, Sushma Dagar, Narender K Dhingra. Front. Cell. Neurosci.,Feb 17;10:38, 2016 ; * Co-first author, equal contribution
  • Dlk1 promotes a fast motor neuron biophysical signature required for peak force execution. Daniel Müller , Pitchaiah Cherukuri, Kristine Henningfeld, Chor Hoon Poh, Lars Wittler, Phillip Grote, Oliver Schlüter, Jennifer Schmidt, Jorge Laborda, Steven R Bau-er, Robert M Brownstone, Till Marquardt. Science. Mar 14;343(6176):1264-6, 2014
  • Loss of Photoreceptors Results in Upregulation of Synaptic Proteins in Bipolar Cells and Amacrine Cells. Sushma Dagar, Saumya Nagar, Manvi Goel, Pitchaiah Cherukuri, and Narender K. Dhingra. PLoS One 9(3): e90250, 2014
  • Early remodeling in an inducible animal model of retinal degeneration. S Nagar*, V Krishnamoorthy*, P Cherukuri*, V Jain, N K Dhingra. Neuroscience. May 5;160(2):517-29. 2009; * Co-first author, equal contribution
  • Intravitreal injection of fluorochrome- conjugated peanut agglutinin results in specific and reversible labeling of mammalian cones in vivo. Vidhyasankar Krishnamoorthy, Varsha Jain, Pitchaiah Cherukuri, Sonia Baloni, Narender K Dhingra. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. Jun;49(6):2643-50, 2008

Contact Details

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