Having a passion for translational research and for finding cures for intractable conditions that cause human suffrage and death, I seek to translate fundamental mechanisms of biochemistry and energy metabolism into novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neurological conditions. A major research effort is the development of metabolism-based therapies that enable disease modification in epilepsy and after traumatic brain injury. I graduated at the University of Köln, Germany, in 1994 with a PhD in Biochemistry. In 2005 I received the venia legendi (Habilitation) in Cellular Pharmacology from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, for my work on cell-based adenosine augmentation therapies for epilepsy. Over the past 25 years I have maintained a rigorous research program on translational adenosine research and have been continuously NIH funded since 2008. I have published over 152 papers with an h-index of 52 and have delivered over 130 invited lectures.
Education/Training:
- Graduate School (PhD in Biochemistry) – University of Koln, Germany
Research Interests:
- The biochemistry and epigenetics of epilepsy
- Focal adenosine-augmentation therapies to treat epilepsy
- Therapies for epilepsy prevention
- Brain regeneration after traumatic brain injury and stroke
- Comorbidities in Neurology
- The adenosine hypothesis of schizophrenia
- Role of adenosine in cancer
- Metabolic therapies
Publication Highlights:
- Boison D, Yegutkin GG. (2019) Adenosine Metabolism: Emerging Concepts for Cancer Therapy. Cancer Cell 36(6):582-596. PMID: 31821783
- Williams-Karnesky RL, Sandau US, Lusardi TA, Lytle NK, Farrell JM, Pritchard EM, Kaplan DL, Boison D (2013) Epigenetic changes induced by adenosine augmentation therapy prevent epileptogenesis. Journal of Clinical Investigation 123(8):3552-3563. PMCID: PMC3726154
- Shen H-Y, Singer P, Lytle N, Wei C, Lan J-Q, Williams-Karnesky RL, Chen J-F, Yee BK, Boison D (2012) Adenosine augmentation ameliorates psychotic and cognitive endophenotypes of schizophrenia in mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation 122(7):2567-2577 PMCID: PMC3386823
- Masino SA, Li T, Theofilas P, Sandau US, Ruskin DN, Fredholm BB, Geiger JD, Aronica E, Boison D (2011) A ketogenic diet suppresses seizures in mice through adenosine A1 receptors. Journal of Clinical Investigation 121(7):2679-83. PMCID: PMC3223846
- Li T, Ren G, Lusardi T, Wilz A, Lan JQ, Iwasato T, Itohara S, Simon RP, Boison D. (2008) Adenosine kinase is a target for the prediction and prevention of epileptogenesis in mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation; 118(2):571-582. PMCID: PMC2157568