Abraham Kovoor, Ph.D.

  • Associate Professor
  • Phone: 401.874.4727
  • Email: abekovoor@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881

Research

Molecular mechanisms underlying the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease; Signaling mechanisms and regulation of seven pass transmembrane G protein coupled receptors
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Education

Postdoctoral, University of California, San Francisco, 2006
Postdoctoral, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 2003
Postdoctoral, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 2002
Ph.D. Molecular Pharmacology, Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, 1998
B.S. Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, 1991

Selected Publications

Kovoor A, Seyffarth P, Barghshoon S, Chen CK, Schwarz S, Axelrod JD, Cheyette BNR, Simon MI, Lester HA, Schwarz J. D2 dopamine receptors colocalize RGS9 2 via the RGS9 DEP domain and RGS9 knockout mice develop dyskinesias associated with dopamine pathways. Journal of Neuroscience, 2005 Feb 23, 25(8):2157-65.

Kovoor A and Lester HA. RGS proteins accelerate the deactivation kinetics of GIRK channels but steady-state amplitudes and the forward rate of activation are unchanged. (in preparation).

Rahman Z, Schwarz J, Gold SJ, Zachariou V, Wein MN, Choi KH, Kovoor A, Neve RL, Lester HA, Simon MI and Nestler EJ. RGS9 Modulates Dopamine Signaling in the Basal Ganglia. Neuron, 2003 Jun 19;38(6):941-52.

Kovoor A, Lester HA. Gi Irks GIRKs. Neuron, 2002 Jan 3;33(1):6-8.

Celver JP, Lowe J, Kovoor A. Gurevich VV, Chavkin C. Threonine 180 is required for GRK3 and arr3 mediated desensitization of the Mu opioid receptor in Xenopus oocytes. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2001 Feb 16;276(7):4894-900.

Kovoor A, Chen CK, He W, Wensel TG, Simon MI, Lester HA. Co-expression of Gbeta5 enhances the function of two G gamma subunit-like domain-containing regulators of G protein signaling proteins. Journal of Biological Chemistry,. 2000 Feb 4; 275(5):3397-402.

Appleyard SM, Celver J, Pineda V, Kovoor A, Wayman GA, Chavkin C. Agonist-dependent desensitization of the kappa opioid receptor by G protein receptor kinase and beta-arrestin. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1999 Aug 20, 274(34):23802-7.

Jin W, Brown S, Roche JP, Hsieh C, Celver JP, Kovoor A, Chavkin C, Mackie K. Distinct domains of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor mediate desensitization and internalization. Journal of Neuroscience, 1999 May 15, 19(10):3773-80.