15689-Cummins, Theodore
Faculty

Theodore R. Cummins, PhD, MS, BA

Chair, Department of Biology, School of Science

Phone (317) 278-9342
Address
SL 306
BIOL
IN
Indianapolis, IN

Bio

Ted Cummins went to high school in Honolulu Hawaii, college in Pennsylvania and graduate school in Connecticut.  He was an Assistant Professor in Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine before joining the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at IUSM in 2003.  He was one of the first recruits into the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute. In 2016 he became the Chair of Biology in the School of Science at IUPUI.

Key Publications

Pan Y, Xiao Y, Pei Z, Cummins TR. Nav1.6 S-palmitoylation regulates channel activity and neuronal excitability. J Biol Chem 295(18):6151-6164, 2020.

Pan Y, Cummins TR. Distinct functional alterations in SCN8A epilepsy mutant channels. J Physiology (London) 598(2): 381-401, 2020.

Mason E, Wu F, Patel R, Xiao Y, Cannon S, Cummins TR.  Resurgent and Gating Pore Currents Induced by de novo SCN2A Epilepsy Mutations. eNeuro, Sep/Oct;6(5) 2019.

Xiao Y, Barbosa C, Pei Z, Strong JA, Xie W, Zhang JM, Cummins TR.  Increased resurgent sodium currents in Nav1.8 contribute to nociceptive sensory neuron hyperexcitability and small fiber neuropathy. J. Neuroscience 39(8):1539-1550, 2019.

Pei Z, Xiao Y, Hudmon A, Cummins TR. Cardiac sodium channel palmitoylation regulates channel availability and myocyte excitability; implications for arrhythmia generation. Nature Communication. 23;7:12035, 2016.

Patel RR, Barbosa C, Brustovetsky T, Brustovetsky N, Cummins TR. Aberrant  Epilepsy-Associated Mutant Nav1.6 Sodium channel activity can be targeted with Cannabidiol.  Brain. 139(Pt 8):2164-81, 2016.

Titles & Appointments

  • Chair, Department of Biology, School of Science
  • Professor of Biology, School of Science
  • Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology
  • Education
    1996 PhD Yale University
    1985 MS Hartford Graduate Center
    1983 BA Swarthmore College
  • Research

    Dr. Cummins main interest is the physiology of ion channels and how they control the electrical activity of muscle and nerve cells.Ion channel mutations have been linked to several neurological and muscle disorders including epilepsy, pain and non-dystrophic myotonias. Hislab useselectrophysiological,molecular biological, biochemical, imaging and computer modeling techniques to study how specific ion channels contribute to excitability and pathophysiological conditions. We also are working to develop strategies for the treatment of disorders that involve ion channels.Therefore we explore the pharmacology of ion channels, investigatingsmall molecules, biological toxins and cannabinoids that can modulate ion channels and potential serve as candidate molecules for the development of new drugs.

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