Ralph W. Kuncl | |
---|---|
11th President of the University of Redlands | |
In office August 2012 –June 2021 | |
Preceded by | James R. Appleton |
Succeeded by | Krista L. Newkirk |
Personal details | |
Spouse | Nancy Kuncl |
Residence(s) | Annapolis,Maryland,U.S. |
Alma mater | Occidental College University of Chicago |
Profession | Academic |
Ralph W. Kuncl is an American neurologist and president emeritus of the University of Redlands. [1]
His previous administrative positions include as provost/executive vice president at the University of Rochester and provost at Bryn Mawr College. [2] The majority of his early career was spent at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine,where he served as professor of neurology,pathology,and cellular and molecular medicine and became known for his research on the disease mechanisms of muscle disorders and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Kuncl is a graduate of Occidental College (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and earned a Ph.D. and M.D. from the University of Chicago. [8] In March 2024,Kuncl was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. [9]
In excitotoxicity,nerve cells suffer damage or death when the levels of otherwise necessary and safe neurotransmitters such as glutamate become pathologically high,resulting in excessive stimulation of receptors. For example,when glutamate receptors such as the NMDA receptor or AMPA receptor encounter excessive levels of the excitatory neurotransmitter,glutamate,significant neuronal damage might ensue. Excess glutamate allows high levels of calcium ions (Ca2+) to enter the cell. Ca2+ influx into cells activates a number of enzymes,including phospholipases,endonucleases,and proteases such as calpain. These enzymes go on to damage cell structures such as components of the cytoskeleton,membrane,and DNA. In evolved,complex adaptive systems such as biological life it must be understood that mechanisms are rarely,if ever,simplistically direct. For example,NMDA in subtoxic amounts induces neuronal survival of otherwise toxic levels of glutamate.
Riluzole is a medication used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron diseases. Riluzole delays the onset of ventilator-dependence or tracheostomy in some people and may increase survival by two to three months. Riluzole is available in tablet and liquid form.
Glutamate transporters are a family of neurotransmitter transporter proteins that move glutamate –the principal excitatory neurotransmitter –across a membrane. The family of glutamate transporters is composed of two primary subclasses:the excitatory amino acid transporter (EAAT) family and vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) family. In the brain,EAATs remove glutamate from the synaptic cleft and extrasynaptic sites via glutamate reuptake into glial cells and neurons,while VGLUTs move glutamate from the cell cytoplasm into synaptic vesicles. Glutamate transporters also transport aspartate and are present in virtually all peripheral tissues,including the heart,liver,testes,and bone. They exhibit stereoselectivity for L-glutamate but transport both L-aspartate and D-aspartate.
Progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) is a medical condition. It belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases. PBP is a disease that attacks the nerves supplying the bulbar muscles. These disorders are characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex,spinal cord,brain stem,and pyramidal tracts. This specifically involves the glossopharyngeal nerve (IX),vagus nerve (X),and hypoglossal nerve (XII).
Excitatory amino acid transporter 1 (EAAT1) is a protein that,in humans,is encoded by the SLC1A3 gene. EAAT1 is also often called the GLutamate ASpartate Transporter 1 (GLAST-1).
Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 2,also known as divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and divalent cation transporter 1 (DCT1),is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC11A2 gene. DMT1 represents a large family of orthologous metal ion transporter proteins that are highly conserved from bacteria to humans.
Superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn] also known as superoxide dismutase 1 or hSod1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the SOD1 gene,located on chromosome 21. SOD1 is one of three human superoxide dismutases. It is implicated in apoptosis,familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.
Profilin-1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PFN1 gene.
Excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) also known as solute carrier family 1 member 2 (SLC1A2) and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC1A2 gene. Alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene have been described,but their full-length nature is not known.
Glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the GRIA2 gene and it is a subunit found in the AMPA receptors.
Alsin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ALS2 gene. ALS2 orthologs have been identified in all mammals for which complete genome data are available.
Excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3),is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC1A1 gene.
Neutral amino acid transporter B(0) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC1A5 gene.
Matrin-3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MATR3 gene.
Cystine/glutamate transporter is an antiporter that in humans is encoded by the SLC7A11 gene.
Vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC17A7 gene.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),also known as motor neurone disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease in the United States,is a rare and terminal neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most common form of the motor neuron diseases. Early symptoms of ALS include stiff muscles,muscle twitches,gradual increasing weakness,and muscle wasting. Limb-onset ALS begins with weakness in the arms or legs,while bulbar-onset ALS begins with difficulty in speaking or swallowing. Around half of people with ALS develop at least mild difficulties with thinking and behavior,and about 15% develop frontotemporal dementia. Motor neuron loss continues until the abilities to eat,speak,move,or,lastly,breathe are lost.
There are more than 25 genes known to be associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as of June 2018,which collectively account for about 70% of cases of familial ALS (fALS) and 10% of cases of sporadic ALS (sALS). About 5–10% of cases of ALS are directly inherited. Overall,first-degree relatives of an individual with ALS have a 1% risk of developing ALS. ALS has an oligogenic mode of inheritance,meaning that mutations in two or more genes are required to cause disease.
Tom Otis is an American researcher,academic and author. He is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour and holds a Professorship in Neuroscience at University College London.
Georg Bernhard Landwehrmeyer FRCP is a German neurologist and neuroscientist in the field of neurodegeneration primarily focusing on Huntington's disease. Landwehrmeyer is a professor of neurology at Ulm University Hospital. He was one of the founders of the European Huntington's Disease Network (EHDN) in 2004 and was chairman of its executive committee until 2014.