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Molecular Neurology Members
Michael G. Harrington, M.B., Ch.B., F.R.C.P.
Director of the Molecular Neurology Program and a Neurochemist, can be contacted by email at mghworksathmridotorg
Mike Harrington received his medical degree in 1976 from Glasgow University, Scotland, was awarded his membership into the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1979 and elected a Fellow in 1993. At Glasgow Royal Infirmary he completed his medical internship in 1977 and trained in internal medicine through 1979. His growing interest in neurological diseases led him to the Institute of Neurological Sciences at Glasgow where he trained in neurology and initiated 2D electrophoresis studies of spinal fluid proteins that were altered in diseases of the nervous system. He relocated to Bethesda, Maryland to continue this research full-time as a Visiting Fellow to the Laboratory of General and Comparative Biochemistry at the National Institute of Mental Health in 1983 and as a Visiting Associate at the Laboratory of Neurogenetics, NIMH. Moving in 1988 to the California Institute of Technology, first as a Senior Research Fellow and from 1990 as a Member of the Beckman Institute, he improved technologies for a variety of protein studies.
At HMRI since 1998, he has formed the new Molecular Neurology Program. He is proud to have recruited Dr. Fonteh to participate in this research. His plans are embodied in this web-site.
Basic Research Director and a Biochemist, can be contacted by email at afontehathmridotorg
Alfred Nji Fonteh received his B.Sc. in Biochemistry with Chemistry from Queen Mary College, University of London in 1985 and his M.Sc. in Medicinal Chemistry from Loughborough University of Technology in 1986. Alfred earned his PhD. in Biochemistry from the Faculty of Medicine (School of Pharmacy) of the University of London in 1989. His research interest for more than 15 years has been on the interactions of drugs with membrane lipids, receptors and enzymes. His interest in lipid signaling pathways led him to pursue postdoctoral studies at the Johns Hopkins University Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore, USA from 1990-91. His desire to use state of the art technology (negative ion-chemical ionization, mass spectroscopy/gas chromatography) to characterize molecular species of phospholipids and fatty acids critical to allergic and inflammatory diseases allowed him to move to Wake Forest University School of Medicine first as a Research Associate (1991-3), an Instructor of Medicine (1993-7) and subsequently as an Assistant Professor (1997-01). His research has discovered very complex pathways critical in homeostatic control of one fatty acid (arachidonic acid) in normal and diseased conditions. Importantly, Alfred has discovered and characterized a receptor in progenitor cells that may control their growth and their ability to respond to extracellular signals. His collaboration with four pharmaceutical companies has resulted in potential therapy of inflammation using receptor inhibitors or dietary supplements. His studies have been funded by the National Institute of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and have been published in various journals that are cited by his peers.
At HMRI since October 1, 2001, Alfred intends to use his knowledge about signaling pathways, receptors and signaling molecules to discover important therapeutic targets of neurological disorders. Specifically, 2D electrophoresis combined with mass spectroscopy will be utilized to isolate, sequence and identify the major proteins in the CSF and brain fractions from study participants. The ultimate goal of his research effort would be to provide a biochemical basis for clinical observations from the Molecular Neurology Program and thus a rationale for diagnosis and/or treatment of diseases of the brain.
Fonteh Publications (Back to top)
Ryan Beck, Administrative Assistant
Ryan Beck graduated from the University of Southern California in May 2004, after having completed his undergraduate studies as a Renaissance Scholar in Art History and Pre-Medicine. He is currently applying to medical schools for the fall of 2006 to pursue a career in either surgery or medical research. Ryan joined the Molecular Neurology team in November 2004 as a research assistant, and his responsibilities include both clerical tasks and laboratory preparations and experiments. Already Ryan has learned many of the laboratory molecular biology methods. By running 2D gels, performing various assays, preparing samples for LC tandem MS, and maintaining and analyzing clinical and molecular data, he hopes to make a contribution to the discovery of the molecules that play a role in the diseases of the brain. Excited about the potential and progress of our current projects, Ryan plans to stay at HMRI until he leaves for medical school to continue his education.