Shin Murakami, PhD, FGSA

Biography

I received PhD from Kyoto University, Japan. I then worked at the University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Louisville, among others and is currently a Full Professor at Touro University-California. My expertise includes aging, stress resistance and dementia. My work on aging and stress resistance has been widely referred to in major medical textbooks (including Harrison’s Internal Medicine; Hazzard's Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology). Current research interest is anything related to genes and aging to investigate middle life the transition of aging processes and age-related comorbidities, using real-time quantitative imaging systems, systems biology and machine learning. I have formulated the multiplex stress resistance theory of aging, which has been extended to the "middle-life crisis theory of aging" (Murakami et al., 2011; Murakami, 2013). A list of publications is available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shin-Murakami/research. My national and international roles include Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Board, AFAR National Scientific Advisory, NBOME National Faculty, ACGME Task Force, among others. Areas of teaching include Medical Biochemistry, Medical Genetics, Molecular Biology and other related areas at medical and graduate schools. He is a founding director/organizer of the outreach program, Biotech Academy Touro Summer Internship, which is an innovative educational approach for high school students and early level college students. My goal is to create an outreach loop ("big-helping loop") from basic and medical sciences to the community. 

Recent Publications

1.    Le D, Brown L, Malik K, Murakami S (Submitted) Two Opposing Functions of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) That Links Hypertension, Dementia, and Aging. Preprint available at Preprints 2021, 2021100197 doi: https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202110.0197/v1.

2.    Antos A, Kwong ML, Balmorez T, Villanueva A, Murakami S. (2021) Unusually High Risks of COVID-19 Mortality with Age-Related Comorbidities: An Adjusted Meta-Analysis Method to Improve the Risk Assessment of Mortality Using the Comorbid Mortality Data. Infectious Disease Reports.13(3):700-711. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/idr13030065 

3.    Ahmad A, Bourgeois A, Edgar L, Gambello M, Gold J, Larson A, Merideth M, Murakami S, Sutton S, (2021) Medical Biochemical Genetics Milestones. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Milestone https://www.acgme.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Milestones/MedicalBiochemicalGeneticsMilestones2.0.pdf?ver=2021-08-03-154055-533  Supplemental Guide https://www.acgme.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Milestones/MedicalBiochemicalGeneticsSupplementalGuide.pdf?ver=2021-08-03-160751-970 

4.    Le D, Crouch N, Villanueva A, Phong Ta, Dmitriyev R, Tunzi M, and Murakami S. (2020) Evidence-based geneti5 Editorial Board, cs and identification of key human Alzheimer’s disease alleles with co-morbidities. Journal of Neurology and Experimental Neuroscience. 6 (1), 20-24. https://doi.org/10.17756/jnen.2020-069 

5.    Vahdati Nia B, Kang C, Tran MG, Lee D, Murakami, S. (2017) Meta Analysis of Human AlzGene Database: Benefits and Limitations of using C. elegans for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease and Co-Morbid Conditions. Front. Genet. 8:55. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00055
Highlight: This is the first comprehensive validation of Alzheimer's disease genes. The work provides the genetic basis of AD that shows the complex comorbidities and explains why the diagnosis of AD is often difficult.  The work significantly increases the number of C. elegans AD genes from 17 to more than 400 genes. Link: https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2017.00055

6.    Murakami, S. (2016) Editorial: Biology of cognitive aging: model systems, technologies and beyond. Front. Genet. 6:366. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00366. Peer-reviewed.
Link: https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2015.00366

7.    Murakami, S. (2014) Diet and Exercise in Cognitive Function and Neurological Diseases, Farooqui, T. Farooqui, A. (Eds.) Wiley BlackWell, New York. 

8.    Machino, K., Link C., Wang S., Murakami, H., and Murakami, S. (2014) A semi-automated analysis of age-related memory impairment in C. elegans. Front. Genet. 5:202. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00202 
Highlight: Motor deficits were not well described in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The work provides a clear evidence for motor deficits in AD model systems with neural amyloid deposits.  
Link: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fgene.2014.00202/abstract

9.    Murakami, S. and Halperin, SA. (2014) Alzheimer’s patient feedback to complement research model systems using cognitive impairments. Frontiers in Genetics of Aging. Front. Genet. 5:269. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00269
Highlight: This is the milestone paper co-authored with an AD patient relevant to Biomedicine.
Link: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fgene.2014.00269/full

10.    Murakami, S. (2013) Age-dependent modulation of learning and memory in C. elegans. In Menzel R and Benjamin P.R. (Eds.) Invertebrate Learning and Memory; Handbook of Behavioral Neuroscience.  Elsevier/Academic Press. Ch.12, Pages 140-150. Book Chapter.
Highlight: The manuscript describes more details of the “middle-life crisis theory of aging” and clarifies misunderstandings in the field of AMI.

11.    Murakami, S., Cabana, K., Anderson, D.  (2011) Current advances in the study of oxidative stress and age-related memory impairment in C. elegans. In Farooqui, T. Farooqui, A.  (Ed.) Molecular aspects of oxidative stress on cell signaling in vertebrates and invertebrates, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Ch 25, Pages 347-360. Book Chapter.
Highlight: The manuscript proposes the “middle-life crisis theory of aging” and describes roles of oxidative stress in memory impairment. 

12.    Murakami, H., Bessinger, K., Hellmann, J. Luerman, G.C., Murakami, S. (2008) Serotonin as a cause of behavioral aging in C. elegans. Neurobiology of Aging. 29(7):1093-100.
Highlight: This is the first evidence for alterations in serotonin signal as a cause of early phase of aging (Murakami and Murakami, 2007; this manuscript). 

13.    Murakami, H., Murakami, S. (2007) Serotonin receptors antagonistically modulate C. elegans longevity. Aging Cell. 6:483-8. 
Highlight: this is the first evidence for alterations in serotonin signal as a cause of early phase of aging (Murakami et al., 2008; this manuscript).

14.    Murakami, S. (2007) C. elegans as a model system to study aging of learning and memory. Molecular Neurobiology. 35: 85-94. Review.

15.    Murakami, S. (2006) Stress resistance in long-lived mice. Special Issue of Genetic Analysis of Aging. Experimental Gerontology, 41:1014-9. Review.

16.    Murakami, H., Bessinger, K., Hellmann, J., Murakami, S. (2005) Aging-dependent and independent regulation of learning by insulin/IGF-1 signal in C. elegans. J. Neurosci. 25:10894-904. 

17.    Murakami, S. and Murakami, H. (2005) The effects of aging and oxidative stress on learning behavior in C. elegans. Neurobiology of Aging. 26:899-905. 

18.    Salmon, A.B., Murakami, S., Bartke, A., Kopchick, J., Yasumura, K., Miller, R.A. (2005) Fibroblast cell lines from young adult mice of long-lived mutant strains are resistant to multiple forms of stress. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab.289: E23-9.  

19.    Murakami, S., Salomon, A., and Miller, R.A. (2003) Multiplex stress resistance in cells in long-lived Dwarf mice. FASEB J. 17:1565-1566.

20.    Murakami S. and Johnson T.E. (2003) Molecular genetics of longevity and stress resistance in model organisms. Current Genomics 4:63-74. Review.

21.    Johnson, TE, Henderson, S., Murakami, S., de Castro, E., de Castro, S.H., Cypser, J., Rikke, B., Tedesco, P., Link, C. (2002) Longevity genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans also mediate increased resistance to stress and prevent disease. J Inherit Metab Dis 25:197-206. Review.

22.    Murakami, S. and Johnson T.E. (2001) The OLD-1 positive regulator of longevity and stress resistance is under DAF-16 regulation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Current Biology. 11:1517-1523.

23.    Johnson, T.E., Cypser, J., de Castro, E., Henderson, S., Murakami, S., Rikke, B., Tedesco, P. and Link, C. (2000) Gerontogenes mediate health and longevity in nematodes through increasing resistance to environmental toxins and stressors. Exp. Geront. 35:687-694. Review.

24.    Murakami, S., Tedesco, P., Cypser, J., and Johnson, T.E. (2000) Molecular mechanism and genetic manipulation of longevity in C. elegans. Annals of NY Acad. Sci., 908:40-49. Review.

25.    Rikke, B., Murakami, S., and Johnson, T. E. (2000) Molecular phylogenetics of tyrosine kinase that can extend nematode life span. Journal of Molecular Evolution.17:671-683.

26.    Murakami, S. and Johnson T. E. (1998) Life extension and stress resistance modulated by the old-1 receptor tyrosine kinase gene. Current Biology. 8:1091-1094.

27.    Johnson T.E., Murakami, S. Shook, D.R., Duhon, S. and Tedesco, P.M. (1997) Identifying and cloning longevity determining genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In J.-M. Robine, J. Vaupel, Jeune and Allard (Eds.); Longevity: To the limits and beyond. Heiderberg, Springer-Verlag, pp155-163. 

28.    Johnson, T. E., Lithgow, G. J. and Murakami, S. (1996) Hypothesis: Interventions that increase the response to stress offer the potential for effective life prolongation and increased health. J. Gerontology 51A:B392-B395.

29.    Johnson, T. E., Lithgow, G. J., Murakami, S. and Shook, D. R. (1996) Genetics. In Encyclopedia of Gerontology, Academic Press, p577-586. Book Chapter.

30.    Johnson, T. E., Lithgow, G. J., Murakami, S., Duhon, S. A. and Shook, D. R. (1996) Genetics of aging and longevity in lower organisms. In Holbrook, N. and Martin, G. R. (Eds.); Aging and Cell Death: Series on Modern Cell Biology, pp1-17. Book Chapter.

31.    Duhon, S. A., Murakami, S. and Johnson, T. E. (1996) Direct isolation of longevity mutants in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Dev. Genet. 18:144-153.

32.    Murakami, S. and Johnson T. E. (1996) A genetic pathway conferring life extension and resistance to UV stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics. 143:1207-1218.

33.    Murakami, S., and Niwa, O. (1995) Fission yeast sta mutations that stabilize an unstable minichromosome are novel cdc2 interacting suppressers and are involved in spindle dynamics. Mol. Gen. Genet. 249:391-399.

34.    Murakami, S., Yanagida, M., and Niwa, O. (1995) A large circular minichromosome of Schizosaccaromyces pombe requires a high dose of type II DNA topoisomerase for its stabilization. Mol. Gen. Genet 246:671-679.  

35.    Takahashi, K., Murakami, S., Chikashige, Y., Funabiki, H., Niwa, O., and Yanagida, M. (1992) A low copy number central sequence with strict symmetry and unusual chromatin structure in fission yeast centromere. Molecular Biology of the Cell 3:819-835.

36.    Takahashi, K., Murakami, S., Chikashige, Y., Niwa, O., and Yanagida, M. (1991) A large number of tRNA genes are symmetrically located in fission yeast centromere. Journal of Molecular Biology 218:13-17.

37.    Murakami, S., Matsumoto, T., Niwa, O., and Yanagida, M. (1991) Structure of the fission yeast centromere cen3: direct analysis of the reiterated inverted region. Chromosoma 101:214-221.

38.    Matsumoto, T., Murakami, S., Niwa, O., and Yanagida, M. (1990) Construction and characterization of centromeric circular and acentric linear chromosomes in fission yeast. Current Genetics 18:323-330. 

39.    Chikashige, Y., Kinoshita, N., Nakaseko, Y., Matsumoto, T., Murakami, S., Niwa, O., and Yanagida, M. (1989) Composite motifs and repeat symmetry in S.pombe centromeres: direct analysis by integration of Not I restriction sites. Cell 57:739-751.