Science at the Center - Research

Robert Wollmann, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor, Departments of Pathology and Neurology
Director, Neuropathology Training Program

Research Profile

My investigational activities involving the peripheral nervous system are mainly located at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Together with Chris Gomez at the University of Minnesota and Ricardo Maselli at the University of California, Davis, I analyze the morphologic changes that accompany pathology at the NMJ. We study transgenic animal models (Gomez) and patients with congenital myasthenic syndromes (Maselli). Maselli analyzes in-vitro physiology of individual junctions; I analyze the morphologic changes that appear with various genetic abnormalities in both axon termini and post-synaptic component of the NMJ. I also have collaborated with Elaine Fuchs' lab, helping them with the neuropathologic analysis of their BPAG-deficient animals-which develop a pure sensory nerve degeneration.

Selected Publications (comprehensive list)

James Dowling, Yanmin Yang, Robert Wollmann, Louis F. Reichardt, Elaine Fuchs (1997) Developmental Expression of BPAG1-n: Insights into the Spastic Ataxia and Gross Neurologic Degeneration in Dystonia Musculorum Mice. Developmental Biology 187:131-142.

Gomez C.M., Maselli R., Gundeck J.E., Chao M., Day J.W., Tamamizu S., Lasalde J.A., McNamee M., Wollmann R.L. (1997) Slow-channel transgenic mice: a model of postsynaptic organellar degeneration at the neuromuscular junction. Journal of Neuroscience 17(11):4170-9.

Maselli R.A., Ellis W., Mandler R.N., Sheikh F., Senton G., Knox S., Salari-Namin H., Agius M., Wollmann R.L., Richman D.P. (1997) Cluster of wound botulism in California: clinical, electrophysiologic, and pathologic study. Muscle Nerve 20:1284-95.

Gomez C.M., Maselli R., Williams J.M., Bhattacharyya B.B., Wollmann R.L., Day J.W. (1998) Genetic manipulation of AChR responses suggests multiple causes of weakness in slow-channel syndrome. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 841:167-80.

Yanmin Yang, Christoph Bauer, Geraldine Strasser, Robert Wollman, Jean-Pierre Julien, and Elaine Fuchs (1999) Integrators of the Cytoskeleton that Stabilize Microtubules. Cell 98:229-238.

Christopher M. Gomez, Ricardo A. Maselli, Bhupinder P. S. Vohra, Manuel Navedo, Joel R. Stiles, Pierre Charnet, Kelly Schott, Legier Rojas, John Keesey, Anthony Verity, Robert W. Wollmann, Jose Lasalde-Dominicci (2002) Novel delta subunit mutation in slow-channel syndrome causes severe weakness by novel mechanisms. Annals of Neurology 51:102-112.