Howard M. Prentice, Ph.D.

Biography

Howard Prentice, Ph.D., is a Professor of Biomedical Science in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Dr. Prentice obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1987 from the Institute of Neurology, University of London and then carried out postdoctoral research with Dr. Larry Kedes at Stanford University and at University of Southern California. From 1993 to 2000 Dr. Prentice held faculty positions in the Department of Genetics and the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Glasgow, Scotland after which he took up his current position at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Prentice has over 70 publications including papers in PNAS, EMBO Journal, Cell, Molecular Neurobiology and Molecular and Cell Biology. Dr. Prentice’s principal research interests are in tissue hypoxia and ischemia and in molecular pathways of neuroprotection in stroke therapy.

Dr. Prentice’s recent investigations have included gene therapy strategies in models of retinal disease. In addition Dr. Prentice has investigated ischemic tissue protection including anti-apoptotic mechanisms and preconditioning pathways. Dr. Prentice’s translational studies have resulted in recent patent awards and these investigations have included analyses of the mechanisms underlying novel stroke therapies.

Education

• 1980: M.A. Honours, Experimental Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
• 1981: DEA., Neurobiology, L'INSERM, Paris, France
• 1984: M.Sc. Neurochemistry, University of London, England
• 1987: Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of London, England

Work History

• 2017-Present: Professor, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2007-2017: Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2007-Present: Member of the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2002-Present: Associate Professor (Secondary Appointment) Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2002-Present: Voluntary Associate Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami, Miami, FL
• 2000-Present: Member of the Center for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (CMBB), Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2013-2014: Visiting Associate Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
• 2000-2007: Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 1997-2000: Senior Lecturer with Tenure, Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland
• 1993-1997: Lecturer, Division of Molecular Genetics and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Glasgow, Scotland

Scholarly Activity

Research Interests

• Therapeutic interventions targeting ER stress pathways in rodent models of stroke
• Hypoxia regulated gene therapy for retinal disease
• Molecular mechanisms of anoxia tolerance
• Pharmacological preconditioning strategies for myocardial ischemia

Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Gharibani P, Modi J, Menzie J, Alexandrescu A, Ma Z, Tao R, Prentice H, Wu JY. Comparison between single and combined post-treatment with S-Methyl-N,N-diethylthiolcarbamate sulfoxide and taurine following transient focal cerebral ischemia in rat brain. Neuroscience. 2015 Aug 6;300:460-73.
• Ren J, Chen YI, Liu CH, Chen PC, Prentice H, Wu JY, Liu PK. Noninvasive tracking of gene transcript and neuroprotection after gene therapy. Gene Ther. 2015 Jul 24. doi: 10.1038/gt.2015.81. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26207935.
• Modi JP, Prentice H, Wu JY. Sulindac for stroke treatment: neuroprotective mechanism and therapy. Neural Regen Res. 2014 Dec 1;9(23):2023-5.
• Sur A, Kesaraju S, Prentice H, Ayyanathan K, Baronas-Lowell D, Zhu D, Hinton DR, Blanks J, Weissbach H. Pharmacological protection of retinal pigmented epithelial cells by sulindac involves PPAR-α. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Nov 25;111(47):16754-9.
• Biswal MR, Prentice HM, Dorey CK, Blanks JC. A hypoxia-responsive glial cell-specific gene therapy vector for targeting retinal neovascularization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014 Nov 6;55(12):8044-53.
• Mohammad-Gharibani P, Modi J, Menzie J, Genova R, Ma Z, Tao R, Prentice H, Wu JY. Mode of action of S-methyl-N, N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfoxide (DETC-MeSO) as a novel therapy for stroke in a rat model. Mol Neurobiol. 2014 Oct;50(2):655-72.
• Kesaraju S, Nayak G, Prentice HM, Milton SL. Upregulation of Hsp72 mediates anoxia/reoxygenation neuroprotection in the freshwater turtle via modulation of ROS. Brain Res. 2014 Sep 25;1582:247-56.
• Pan C, Prentice H, Price AL, Wu JY. Beneficial effect of taurine on hypoxia- and glutamate-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways in primary neuronal culture. Amino Acids. 2012 Aug;43(2):845-55. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1141-6.
• Buddhala C, Suarez M, Modi J, Prentice H, Ma Z, Tao R, Wu JY. Calpain cleavage of brain glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 is pathological and impairs GABA neurotransmission. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33002. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033002.
• Prentice HM, Biswal MR, Dorey CK, Blanks JC. Hypoxia-regulated retinal glial cell-specific promoter for potential gene therapy in disease. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011 Nov 1;52(12):8562-70. doi: 10.1167/iovs.10-6835. PubMed PMID: 21960554; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3208385.

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Honors/Awards

• 2015: Organizing committee for Global Summit on Stroke, Birmingham, England, 2015
• 2014: Nominated as International Faculty for the International Congress on Coronary artery disease (2015 Congress)
• 2012: Nominated as International Faculty for the International Congress on Coronary artery disease (2013 Congress)
• 2010: Nominated as International Faculty for the International Congress on Coronary artery disease (2011 Congress)
• 2009: Nominated as International Faculty for the International Congress on Coronary artery disease (2009 Congress)
• 2009: College of Biomedical Science Award for Excellence in Teaching, Florida Atlantic University (College Nominee for University Teacher of the Year Competition)
• 2007: Dwight W. Warren Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching, Florida Atlantic University
• 1991-92: Senior Investigatorship of the American Heart Association (Greater Los Angeles Affiliate)
• January 1989-May 1993: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Genetic Medicine, University of Southern California Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA (Supervisor: Prof. Laurence H. Kedes, M.D.)
• 1988-1990: Postdoctoral fellowship from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (PI: Dr. Larry Kedes)
• October 1987-January 1989: Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA; The MEDIGEN Project (Molecular Genetics) (Supervisor: Prof. Laurence H. Kedes M.D.)
• August 1987-September 1987: Research Associate, Institute of Neurology, Queen’s Square, London