Andrew Tan, PhD
Assistant ProfessorCards
Appointments
Additional Titles
Deputy Director, Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Deputy Director, Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Deputy Director, Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research
Contact Info
About
Titles
Assistant Professor
Deputy Director, Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration ResearchBiography
My research interests focus on spinal cord injury (SCI) pathology, particularly mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain and spastic movement disorders. My long-term goal is to identify and assess novel targets and strategies that can help restore normal function after SCI. My hope is that our efforts will eventually lead to more effective and safe clinical therapies.
As the Principal Investigator (PI) of US Federal awards and privately funded grants, I have applied my expertise toward managing the execution of a broad range of projects, and have developed strong collaborations with domestic and international teams. As an Associate Director of the Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research at the West Haven VA Medical Center, I currently supervise a wonderful team of students, postdocs, and junior faculty in our SCI/D research program. Our published research has utilized in vitro and in vivo approaches, including a combination of anatomical analyses, behavioral assessment, viral-based gene therapy, and whole-animal electrophysiological techniques.
Over the past decade, my team has laid the groundwork demonstrating that maladaptive dendritic spine remodeling within nociceptive or motor reflex circuits underlies SCI-induced hyperexcitability disorders, i.e., neuropathic pain and spasticity. This body of work has also demonstrated for the first time that the Rac1-PAK1 pathway is a key mechanism involved in maintaining chronic pain and spinal motor reflex dysfunction. A core implication of these insights is that dendritic spine profiles may serve as a morphological correlate for sensory-motor hyperexcitability disorders, and could be used to predict therapeutic-drug response. Recently, we pioneered the use of long-term, in vivo two-photon imaging assays that we now use to investigate the relationship between dendritic spine dynamics in the spinal dorsal horn and neuropathic pain.
Appointments
Neurology
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Associate
- Columbia University/The City College (CUNY) (2011)
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Yale University (2008)
- PhD
- Stony Brook University (2006)
- BS
- University of Rochester, Neuroscience (2001)
Research
Overview
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ORCID
0000-0002-0099-8814
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Jared King, MS
Lakshmi Bangalore, PhD
Peng Zhao, PhD
Stephen Waxman, MD, PhD
Shujun Liu
Curtis Benson
Spinal Cord Injuries
Publications
2023
Conditional Astrocyte Rac1KO Attenuates Hyperreflexia after Spinal Cord Injury
Benson C, Olson K, Patwa S, Kauer S, King J, Waxman S, Tan A. Conditional Astrocyte Rac1KO Attenuates Hyperreflexia after Spinal Cord Injury. Journal Of Neuroscience 2023, 44: e1670222023. PMID: 37963762, PMCID: PMC10851682, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1670-22.2023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSpinal cord injuryRate-dependent depressionΑ-motor neuronsGlutamate transporter 1Dendritic spine dysgenesisCord injurySpine dysgenesisDevelopment of SCIMild contusion spinal cord injuryAstrocytic glutamate transporter 1Glial-specific glutamate transporterContusion spinal cord injuryTransporter 1Development of hyperreflexiaMonosynaptic H-reflexDendritic spine densityPre-injury levelSpinal reflex circuitsVentral spinal cordReflex hyperexcitabilityHyperexcitability disordersFunctional recoveryGlutamate clearanceH-reflexVentral hornIncreased astrocytic GLT-1 expression in tripartite synapses is associated with SCI-induced hyperreflexia
Benson C, King J, Kauer S, Waxman S, Tan A. Increased astrocytic GLT-1 expression in tripartite synapses is associated with SCI-induced hyperreflexia. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2023, 130: 1358-1366. PMID: 37877184, PMCID: PMC10972632, DOI: 10.1152/jn.00234.2023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSpinal cord injuryRate-dependent depressionTripartite synapsesGLT-1Astrocytic GLT-1 expressionChronic neurological complicationsGLT-1 expressionAstrocyte involvementChronic spasticityUninjured shamsNeurological complicationsNeuropathic painHyperexcitability disordersH-reflexPSD-95 proteinReactive astrocytesVentral hornCord injuryMuscle toneAstrocytes' roleSpinal cordSpinal circuitsSynaptic transmissionHyperreflexiaSpasticity
2022
Dendritic Spines and Pain Memory
Benson C, King J, Reimer M, Kauer S, Waxman S, Tan A. Dendritic Spines and Pain Memory. The Neuroscientist 2022, 30: 294-314. PMID: 36461773, DOI: 10.1177/10738584221138251.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsNeuropathic painDendritic spinesSynaptic transmissionSpinal cord dorsal hornForm of painNew therapeutic approachesSurface of neuronsDorsal hornIntractable painDeep laminaePain memoryTherapeutic approachesPainNervous systemNew therapeuticsSpineMillions of peopleInjuryDiseaseRecent studiesReview articlePrevalenceNeuronsImportant role
2021
Conditional RAC1 knockout in motor neurons restores H-reflex rate-dependent depression after spinal cord injury
Benson CA, Olson KL, Patwa S, Reimer ML, Bangalore L, Hill M, Waxman SG, Tan AM. Conditional RAC1 knockout in motor neurons restores H-reflex rate-dependent depression after spinal cord injury. Scientific Reports 2021, 11: 7838. PMID: 33837249, PMCID: PMC8035187, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87476-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSpinal cord injuryDendritic spine dysgenesisMotor neuronsSpine dysgenesisSCI animalsHyperexcitability disordersCord injurySpinal alpha motor neuronsVentral horn motor neuronsAbnormal dendritic spine morphologyRac1 knockoutH-reflex pathwayRate-dependent depressionAlpha motor neuronsDevelopment of spasticityAdeno-associated viralMushroom dendritic spinesSpine head sizeOverall spine lengthDendritic spine morphologyRac1 protein expressionNeuronal hyperexcitabilityMajor complicationsClinical symptomsReflex excitability
2020
Dendritic Spine Dynamics after Peripheral Nerve Injury: An Intravital Structural Study
Benson CA, Fenrich KK, Olson KL, Patwa S, Bangalore L, Waxman SG, Tan AM. Dendritic Spine Dynamics after Peripheral Nerve Injury: An Intravital Structural Study. Journal Of Neuroscience 2020, 40: 4297-4308. PMID: 32371602, PMCID: PMC7252482, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2858-19.2020.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDendritic spine dynamicsInjury-induced painPeripheral nerve injuryNeuropathic painDorsal hornSpine dynamicsNerve injuryPeripheral nerve injury-induced painNerve injury-induced painSuperficial dorsal horn neuronsSpinal cord dorsal hornDorsal horn neuronsSuperficial dorsal hornMechanisms of painDendritic spine dysgenesisContext of injuryPostmortem tissue analysisSame dendritic branchRepeat imagingMale miceMedical conditionsEffective treatmentPainSpine dysgenesisDendritic spines
2016
Dendritic spine remodeling following early and late Rac1 inhibition after spinal cord injury: evidence for a pain biomarker
Zhao P, Hill M, Liu S, Chen L, Bangalore L, Waxman SG, Tan AM. Dendritic spine remodeling following early and late Rac1 inhibition after spinal cord injury: evidence for a pain biomarker. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2016, 115: 2893-2910. PMID: 26936986, PMCID: PMC4922610, DOI: 10.1152/jn.01057.2015.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSpinal cord injuryNeuropathic painDendritic spine dysgenesisDendritic spinesCord injurySpine dysgenesisDorsal horn neuronsSpine profilesDendritic spine remodelingEffective clinical translationSensory dysfunctionSignificant complicationsNociceptive systemPain biomarkersSpine remodelingClinical conditionsPreclinical studiesRac1 activityEffective treatmentPainDrug responsivenessStructural biomarkersDisease statesRac1 inhibitionBiomarkers
2014
Dendritic spine dysgenesis contributes to hyperreflexia after spinal cord injury
Bandaru SP, Liu S, Waxman SG, Tan AM. Dendritic spine dysgenesis contributes to hyperreflexia after spinal cord injury. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2014, 113: 1598-1615. PMID: 25505110, PMCID: PMC4346729, DOI: 10.1152/jn.00566.2014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSpinal cord injuryLevel of injuryH-reflexCord injuryStretch reflexDendritic spinesSpinal cord motor systemSpine morphologyContusion spinal cord injuryExaggerated tendon jerksSpinal cord contributesRate-dependent depressionSpine profilesDendritic spine dysgenesisΑ-motor neuronsH-reflex testingTonic stretch reflexVelocity-dependent increaseAdult Sprague-DawleyM-wave responsesAbnormal dendritic spinesSpinal stretch reflexAbnormal spine morphologyDendritic spine morphologyReflex dysfunction
2012
Selective corticospinal tract injury in the rat induces primary afferent fiber sprouting in the spinal cord and hyperreflexia.
Tan AM, Chakrabarty S, Kimura H, Martin JH. Selective corticospinal tract injury in the rat induces primary afferent fiber sprouting in the spinal cord and hyperreflexia. The Journal Of Neuroscience : The Official Journal Of The Society For Neuroscience 2012, 32: 12896-908. PMID: 22973013, PMCID: PMC3499628, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6451-11.2012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMaladaptive Dendritic Spine Remodeling Contributes to Diabetic Neuropathic Pain
Tan AM, Samad OA, Fischer TZ, Zhao P, Persson AK, Waxman SG. Maladaptive Dendritic Spine Remodeling Contributes to Diabetic Neuropathic Pain. Journal Of Neuroscience 2012, 32: 6795-6807. PMID: 22593049, PMCID: PMC6622192, DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1017-12.2012.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDiabetic neuropathic painNeuropathic painDendritic spinesSpine plasticitySpine morphologyMajor public health problemDiabetes-induced changesDevelopment of painDendritic spine remodelingDendritic spine plasticitySpontaneous firing activityPublic health problemAvailable clinical treatmentsEvidence of painDendritic spine morphologyDendritic spine shapeNeuronal hyperresponsivenessRange neuronsWDR neuronsNeuron hyperexcitabilitySTZ injectionDorsal hornMechanical painChronic painDiabetic rats
2011
Rac1-regulated dendritic spine remodeling contributes to neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve injury
Tan AM, Chang YW, Zhao P, Hains BC, Waxman SG. Rac1-regulated dendritic spine remodeling contributes to neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve injury. Experimental Neurology 2011, 232: 222-233. PMID: 21963650, DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.08.028.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDorsal horn neuronsPeripheral nerve injuryChronic constriction injuryWide dynamic range dorsal horn neuronsRange dorsal horn neuronsNerve injuryNeuropathic painDendritic spinesTactile allodyniaThermal hyperalgesiaSpine morphologyInjury-induced hyperexcitabilityNoxious peripheral stimuliSpinal cord injuryMushroom-shaped spinesDendritic spine developmentDendritic spine morphologyConstriction injuryHyperexcitable responsesCCI animalsNeuronal hyperexcitabilityIpsilateral hindNociceptive thresholdSpine densityCord injury
Academic Achievements and Community Involvement
activity Editor
Professional OrganizationsAVI Publishing Inc.Journalist and editorial service for commercial magazineDetails09/01/2009 - 06/20/2012activity Consultant
Professional OrganizationsPhase Five Communications Inc./Grey Healthcare GroupDetails10/01/2008 - 10/31/2009honor Travel Award, 12th World Congress on Pain
International AwardInternational Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)Details08/01/2008United Stateshonor Research Work Award, Public Education/Communication Committee
International AwardSociety for NeuroscienceDetails08/01/2008United Stateshonor Keystone Symposia Scholarship
National AwardNINDSDetails10/01/2005United States
Links & Media
News
- October 27, 2016
ABRCMS 2016