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James G Dobson PhD

TitleProfessor Emeritus
InstitutionUMass Chan Medical School
DepartmentMicrobiology
AddressUMass Chan Medical School
55 Lake Avenue North
Worcester MA 01655
Phone508-856-3775
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    Other Positions
    InstitutionT.H. Chan School of Medicine
    DepartmentMedicine
    DivisionCardiovascular Medicine

    InstitutionT.H. Chan School of Medicine
    DepartmentMicrobiology


    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse education and training
    Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT, United StatesBSScience
    Wesleyan University, Middleton, CT, United StatesMABiology
    University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United StatesPHDPhysiology

    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview

    Academic Background

    1965, B.S., Central Connecticut State University
    1967, M.A., Wesleyan University
    1971, Ph.D., University of Virginia

    2008 - 2010, Professor & Interim Chairman of Physiology

    2011 - Professor Emeritus

    Regulation of neurotransmitter signal transduction in the heart

    The research in this laboratory is concerned with investigating transmembrane signaling and the mechanisms which regulate cardiac muscle force development and myocardial energy utilization. Emphasis isJim Dobson Photo given to the importance of adenosinergic modulation of the regulatory mechanisms particularly upon beta-adrenoceptor stimulation. The importance of the phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of proteins involved in the regulatory processes is a keen area of interest. Of additional interest is the role of adenosine in endothelial cell proliferation, aging of the cardiovascular system and heart failure. Mainly, isolated perfused hearts, dispersed ventricular myocytes and cultured endothelial cells are used in these studies.

    The main emphasis is that by using current biochemical and molecular approaches and techniques the physiological mechanisms regulating cardiac mechanical performance and metabolism can be elucidated in the normal heart. This will foster a better understanding of how these neuro-regulatory mechanisms are altered in the diseased and aging cells that comprise the cardiovasculary system.

    Research Figure

    Adenosine and the Catecholamine Responses in Heart

      A scheme illustrating that any one of the following: catacholamine stimulation of the heart, myocardial ischemia and adult heart aging, increases the concentration of myocardial adenosine. The increased adenosine in turn reduces the Beta-adrenergic induced increases in the myocardial chronotropic, inotropic and glycogenolytic responses of the heart and enhances coronary blood flow.


    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Guarini G, Kiyooka T, Ohanyan V, Pung YF, Marzilli M, Chen YR, Chen CL, Kang PT, Hardwick JP, Kolz CL, Yin L, Wilson GL, Shokolenko I, Dobson JG, Fenton R, Chilian WM. Impaired coronary metabolic dilation in the metabolic syndrome is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial DNA damage. Basic Res Cardiol. 2016 May; 111(3):29. PMID: 27040114.
      Citations: 14     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    2. Strachan-Whaley MR, Reilly K, Dobson J, Kalisch BE. Map kinase and PKC signaling pathways modulate NGF-mediated apoE transcription. Neurosci Lett. 2015 May 19; 595:54-9. PMID: 25797400.
      Citations: 5     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    3. Fenton RA, Dobson JG. Reduced adenosine release from the aged mammalian heart. J Cell Physiol. 2012 Nov; 227(11):3709-14. PMID: 22378276.
      Citations: 3     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    4. Komatsu S, Dobson JG, Ikebe M, Shea LG, Fenton RA. Crosstalk between adenosine A1 and ?1-adrenergic receptors regulates translocation of PKCe in isolated rat cardiomyocytes. J Cell Physiol. 2012 Sep; 227(9):3201-7. PMID: 22105697.
      Citations: 5     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    5. Fenton RA, Shea LG, Doddi C, Dobson JG. Myocardial adenosine A(1)-receptor-mediated adenoprotection involves phospholipase C, PKC-epsilon, and p38 MAPK, but not HSP27. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2010 Jun; 298(6):H1671-8. PMID: 20363896.
      Citations: 16     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    6. Fenton RA, Komatsu S, Ikebe M, Shea LG, Dobson JG. Adenoprotection of the heart involves phospholipase C-induced activation and translocation of PKC-epsilon to RACK2 in adult rat and mouse. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2009 Aug; 297(2):H718-25. PMID: 19525381.
      Citations: 6     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    7. Dobson JG, Shea LG, Fenton RA. Adenosine A2A and beta-adrenergic calcium transient and contractile responses in rat ventricular myocytes. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2008 Dec; 295(6):H2364-72. PMID: 18849328.
      Citations: 12     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    8. Tikh EI, Fenton RA, Chen JF, Schwarzschild MA, Dobson JG. Adenosine A1 and A2A receptor regulation of protein phosphatase 2A in the murine heart. J Cell Physiol. 2008 Jul; 216(1):83-90. PMID: 18181173.
      Citations: 10     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    9. Fenton RA, Dobson JG. Adenosine A1 and A2A receptor effects on G-protein cycling in beta-adrenergic stimulated ventricular membranes. J Cell Physiol. 2007 Dec; 213(3):785-92. PMID: 17516542.
      Citations: 11     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    10. Knott TK, Marrero HG, Fenton RA, Custer EE, Dobson JG, Lemos JR. Endogenous adenosine inhibits CNS terminal Ca(2+) currents and exocytosis. J Cell Physiol. 2007 Feb; 210(2):309-14. PMID: 17096366.
      Citations: 12     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    11. Tikh EI, Fenton RA, Dobson JG. Contractile effects of adenosine A1 and A2A receptors in isolated murine hearts. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006 Jan; 290(1):H348-56. PMID: 16143649.
      Citations: 14     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    12. Fenton RA, Dickson EW, Dobson JG. Inhibition of phosphatase activity enhances preconditioning and limits cell death in the ischemic/reperfused aged rat heart. Life Sci. 2005 Nov 12; 77(26):3375-88. PMID: 16098993.
      Citations: 13     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    13. Lorbar M, Chung ES, Nabi A, Skalova K, Fenton RA, Dobson JG, Meyer TE. Receptors subtypes involved in adenosine-mediated modulation of norepinephrine release from cardiac nerve terminals. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2004 Nov; 82(11):1026-31. PMID: 15644943.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    14. Miyazaki K, Komatsu S, Ikebe M, Fenton RA, Dobson JG. Protein kinase Cepsilon and the antiadrenergic action of adenosine in rat ventricular myocytes. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2004 Oct; 287(4):H1721-9. PMID: 15205171.
      Citations: 6     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    15. Dobson JG, Fray J, Leonard JL, Pratt RE. Molecular mechanisms of reduced beta-adrenergic signaling in the aged heart as revealed by genomic profiling. Physiol Genomics. 2003 Oct 17; 15(2):142-7. PMID: 12902548.
      Citations: 7     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    16. Dobson JG, Shea LG, Fenton RA. Beta-adrenergic and antiadrenergic modulation of cardiac adenylyl cyclase is influenced by phosphorylation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2003 Oct; 285(4):H1471-8. PMID: 12805016.
      Citations: 2     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    17. Reisert PS, Dobson JG, Fenton RA. Anoxia-induced changes in purine nucleoside metabolism of in vitro aged human fibroblasts. Life Sci. 2002 Feb 08; 70(12):1369-82. PMID: 11883713.
      Citations: 1     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
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