الدكتور مساعد بن علي الحدب الشمري

Musaad Ali Alshammari, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
College of Pharmacy, King Saud University
 
Location:  Building 23, Second floor, Room 2B 101, Lab 2B 107/2B 64
Phone: + (966) 11 4677180
Fax: + (966) 11 4677200
Email: malshammari@ksu.edu.sa
Web: fac.ksu.edu.sa/malshammari
Mailing Address
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
College of Pharmacy, King Saud University
P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Education

• Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA. Mentor: Dr. Fernanda Laezza. (2011- 2016)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (2002- 2008)

Professional Experience

• Director of Innovation Unit in College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Oct. 2016-Present)
• Assistant professor, King Saud University, Pharmacology and Toxicology Dept., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (May. 2016-Present)
• Teaching Assistant in King Saud University, Collage of Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (May. 2008-Aug. 2009)
• Pharmacist in Saudi Drug and Food Authority (SFDA), Pharmacovigilance Department. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Mar. 2008-May. 2008)
• Internship in King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Sep. 2007-Dec. 2007)

Research Interests
Identify the best therapeutic intervention for neurological and psychiatric disorders using translational approaches including, genetically and pharmacologically diseased-based animal models.
Goals
Understand the biology of pathological dysfunctions in brain disorders such as depression, autism, anxiety, pain, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, Alzheimer, and epilepsy.
Identify a biological link between CNS disorders and metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
Characterize signaling pathways critically involved in brain disorders.
Identify a potential biomarker and drug target / examine these drug targets.
Area of Research
Currently, my work centers on understanding the role of the molecular mechanisms underlying adult neural stem cells development in the adult mammalian brain. I am interested in identifying a novel regulator of adult neurogenesis that may be the key molecule in the pathogenesis of major neuropsychiatric disorders.
 
FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Aug. 2011 Ph.D. Scholarship from the Government of Saudi Arabia. King Saud University. 

HONORS/AWARDS
Sep. 2015 First Prize award at the NeuroRegeneration Collaborative Symposium, Rice University.
Apr. 2015 Travel scholarship from the Austin Conference on Learning & Memory, The University of Texas at Austin.
 
Publications 
ARTICLES IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS: 

1. Tahani K. Alshammari#, Musaad A. Alshammari#, Miroslav N. Nenov, Eriola Hoxha, Marco Cambiaghi, Andrea Marcinno`, Thomas F. James, Pankaj Singh, Demetrio Labate, Jiang Li, Herbert Y. Meltzer, Benedetto Sacchetti, Filippo Tempia, and Fernanda Laezza. Genetic deletion of fibroblast growth factor 14 recapitulates phenotypic alterations underlying cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia. Translational Psychiatry, 2016. doi: 10.1038/tp.2016.66 #Equally contributed
2. Musaad A. Alshammari, Tahani K. Alshammari, and Fernanda Laezza (2016). Improved methods for fluorescence microscopy detection of macromolecules at the axon initial segment. Front. Cell. Neurosci. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00005  
3. Musaad A. Alshammari, Tahani K. Alshammari, Miroslav N. Nenov, Federico Scala, Fernanda Laezza (2015). Fibroblast Growth Factor 14 Modulates the Neurogenesis of Granule Neurons in the Adult Dentate Gyrus. Molecular Neurobiology. doi: 10.​1007/​s12035-015-9568-5
4. Filippo Tempia, Eriola Hoxha, Giulia Negro, Musaad A. Alshammari, Tahani K. Alshammari, Neli Panova-Elektronova and Fernanda Laezza (2015). Parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synaptic impairment in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 27. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00205

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

1. Alshammari, T. K., Alshammari, M. A., Nenov, M. N., Hoxha, E., Cambiaghi, M., Marcinnò, A., James, T. F., Singh, P., Labate, D., Li, J., Meltzer, H. Y., Sacchetti, B., Tempia, F., and Laezza, F. (2015). "Fibroblast Growth Factor 14 is an Essential Element of the Inhibitory Circuit that Controls Cognitive Function Associated with Schizophrenia", in: American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) 54th Annual Meeting, eds. R.E. Gur, B. Moghaddam & C. A. Zarate: Neuropsycho-pharmacology, S443-S611. doi:10.1038/npp.2015.327

ABSTRACTS

1. Alshammari, M. A., Alshammari, T. K., Scala, F., Nenov, M. N., Laezza, F. FGF14 is a master organizer of the beta-IV spectrin complex at the axonal initial segment and the paranodal junction in cortical regions. Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Nov.15th, 2016. San Diego, CA.
2. Alshammari T. K., Alshammari M. A., Nenov M. N., Hoxha E., Tempia F., Laezza F. Genetic deletion of Fgf14 disrupts inhibitory connections of the brain hippocampal region in a sex specific manner. Nov.14th, 2016. San Diego, CA.
3. Scala F., Nenov M. N., Crofton E., Zhang Y., Wildburger N., Chesson B., James T., Alshammari M., Alshammari T., Litchi C., Rudra J., D'ascenzo M., Green T., Laezza F. GSK3 signaling regulates intrinsic firing and persistent sodium current in medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens. Nov.15th, 2016. San Diego, CA
4. Alshammari, M. A., Alshammari, T. K., Scala, F., Nenov, M. N., Laezza, F. Genetic deletion of intracellular fibroblast growth factor 14 (fgf14) disrupts transition of late immature to mature newly born granule neurons in the adult dentate gyrus. 19th Annual Forum on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch. Oct.23rd 2015. Galveston, TX.
5. Alshammari, T. K., Alshammari, M. A., Hoxha, E., Nenov, M. N., Cambiaghi, M., Marcinno, A., James, T. F., Li, J., Sacchetti, B., Meltzer, H. Y., Tempia, F., Laezza, F. Disruption of the hippocampal gabaergic system in the fgf14–/– mouse model. 19th Annual Forum on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch. Oct.23rd 2015. Galveston, TX.
6. Alshammari, M. A., Alshammari, T. K., Scala, F., Nenov, M. N., Laezza, F. Genetic deletion of intracellular fibroblast growth factor 14 (fgf14) disrupts transition of late immature to mature newly born granule neurons in the adult dentate gyrus. Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Oct.21st 2015. Chicago, IL
7. Alshammari, T. K., Alshammari, M. A., Hoxha, E., Nenov, M. N., Cambiaghi, M., Marcinno, A., James, T. F., Li, J., Sacchetti, B., Meltzer, H. Y., Tempia, F., Laezza, F. Disruption of the hippocampal gabaergic system in the fgf14–/– mouse model. Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Oct.20th 2015. Chicago, IL Awarded for SFN Trainee Professional Development Award.
8. Scala, F., Nenov, M. N., Alshammari, M. A., James, T. F., Panova-Elektronova, N., Grassi, C., D'ascenzo, M., Laezza, F. Triciribine potentiates Nav1.6-encoded currents and increases excitability of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens. Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Oct.17th 2015. Chicago, IL
9. Alshammari, M. A., Alshammari, T. K, Nenov, M. N., Scala, F., Laezza, F. FGF14 is Required for Neurogenesis of Granule Neurons in the Adult Dentate Gyrus. Neuro Regeneration Collaborative Symposium, BioScience Research Collaborative, Rice University. Sep. 2015. Houston, TX Awarded for the First Prize award.
10. Alshammari, T., Alshammari, M., Nenov, M., Hoxha, E., James, T., Cambiaghi, M., Sacchetti, B., Tempia, F., Laezza, F. Role   of   FGF14   in   the   Inhibitory   Circuitry   Underlying Cognitive Processing. American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology (ASCP) Annual Meeting. Jun. 2015. Miami, FL
11. Alshammari, M., Alshammari, T., Laezza, F. Regulation of adult neurogenesis by FGF14 as a potential mechanistic link to human brain disorders. 20th Annual Sealy Center for Structural Biology Symposium, University of Texas Medical Branch. May 2015. Galveston, TX
12. Alshammari, T., Alshammari, M., Nenov, M., Hoxha, E., Marcinno, A., Cambiaghi, M. James, T., Sacchetti, B., Tempia, F., Laezza, F. Genetic deletion of Fgf14 recapitulates molecular, cellular and circuit alterations underlying cognitive impairment associated with human psychiatric disorders. 20th Annual Sealy Center for Structural Biology Symposium, University of Texas Medical Branch. May 2015. Galveston, TX
13. Alshammari, M., Alshammari, T., Laezza, F. Regulation of adult neurogenesis by FGF14 as a potential mechanistic link to human brain disorders. UT Austin Conference on Learning & Memory, the University of Texas at Austin. Apr. 2015. Austin, TX Selected for travel award.
14. Alshammari, T., Alshammari, M., Nenov, M., Hoxha, E., Marcinno, A., Cambiaghi, M. James, T., Sacchetti, B., Tempia, F., Laezza, F. Genetic deletion of Fgf14 recapitulates molecular, cellular and circuit alterations underlying cognitive impairment associated with human psychiatric disorders. UT Austin Conference on Learning & Memory, the University of Texas at Austin. Apr. 2015. Austin, TX Selected for travel award.
15. Nenov, M., Crofton, E., Scala, F., Zhang, Y., Alshammari, M., Alshammari, T., D’Ascenzo, M., Green, T., Laezza, F. Identification of Akt-GSK3-Nav1.6 sodium channel signaling pathway as a therapeutic target against psychiatric disorders. UT Austin Conference on Learning & Memory, the University of Texas at Austin. Apr. 2015. Austin, TX
16. Alshammari, M., Alshammari, T., Panova-Elektronova, N., Laezza, F. Regulation of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis by FGF14. University of Texas Medical Branch 3rd Annual Clinical & Translational Research Forum. Mar. 2015. Galveston, TX
17. Alshammari, T., Alshammari, M., Laezza, F. Genetic deletion of Fgf14 disrupts inhibitory connections of the brain hippocampal region in a sex-specific manner. University of Texas Medical Branch 3rd Annual Clinical & Translational Research Forum. Mar. 2015. Galveston, TX
18. Nenov, M., Crofton, E., Scala, F., Zhang, Y., Alshammari, M., Alshammari, T., D’Ascenzo, M., Green, T., Laezza, F. Identification of Akt-GSK3-Nav1.6 sodium channel signaling pathway as a therapeutic target against psychiatric disorders. University of Texas Medical Branch 3rd Annual Clinical & Translational Research Forum. Mar. 2015. Galveston, TX
19. Laezza, F., Negro, G., Alshammari, M., Alshammari, T., Tempia, F. Parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synaptic impairment in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 27. Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Nov. 2014. Washington, DC
20.  Nenov, M., Crofton, E., Scala, F., Zhang, Y., Alshammari, M., Alshammari, T., D’Ascenzo, M., Green, T., Laezza, F. Identification of Akt-GSK3-Nav1.6 sodium channel signaling pathway as a therapeutic target against psychiatric disorders. Society for Neuroscience (SfN). Nov. 2014. Washington, DC

ORAL PRESENTATIONS:

1. Musaad Alshammari. Cellular Alterations of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in The Fgf14−/− Mouse Model. Pharmacology and Toxicology Seminar Series, Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 12th, 2017
2. Musaad Alshammari. FGF14 is Required for Late Immature to Mature Transition of Newly Born Granule Neurons in the Adult Dentate Gyrus. Pharmacology and Toxicology Student Summer Seminar Series, Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Jun 5th, 2015.
3. Musaad Alshammari. FGF14: A New Regulator of the DISC1 Pathway Affecting Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis. Qualifying Proposal Seminar, Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Jun 20th, 2014.
4. Musaad Alshammari. The mechanisms underlying loss of GABAergic synaptic transmission in Fgf14-/- mouse model. Pharmacology and Toxicology Student Summer Seminar Series, Pharmacology & Toxicology Department, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Jul. 3rd, 2013.