Associate Professor in Endocrinology

• Research Division Lead, Biomedical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering.
• Supervision of research done by post-graduate and undergraduate students.
• Undergraduate advising.
• Mentorship of Post-Doctoral Research Fellows.

• Research
• Impact, Enterprise and Outreach
• Teaching
• Esteem Factors
• International and National Collaborators
• Publications

Neuroendocrinology and Molecular Endocrinology with an emphasis on behaviour using physiologically relevant model systems.

• Mechanisms of estrogen action in neuronal cells, including an emphasis on non-genomic and non-transcriptional signalling and their relevance to behaviour.
• Mechanisms by which GPR30, a putative membrane Estrogen Receptor (mER) signals in neurons and the relevance to behaviour.
• Role of locally synthesized steroids and their relevance to social behaviors.
• Role of thyroid hormones in the regulation of anxiety and cognition.
• Role of nuclear receptors and neuropeptides in C.elegans social behaviours and ageing.

Member of the Molecular & Cellular Medicine Group

Impact, Enterprise and Outreach

• Director of Outreach, SBS (2016-2019); revamped the UoR Scholars Programme and other science outreach events in local school with collaborators within the development.
• Novel mechanisms of estrogen action and estrogen production in the brain can be used to discover new drug targets in diseases impacted by estrogen, such as breast cancer.
• Control of social behaviours can lead to better welfare of managed animals.
• Steroid synthesis in the brain can lead to better understanding of sexually dimorphic traits.
• Target discovery for alleviation of symptoms of hypothyroidism.
• Led yearly mini-courses, consisting of lectures and experiments on Brain and Behavior for high school students and for at-risk students in New Orleans, USA.
• Participated in Brain Awareness Day activities, Soapbox Science, Pint of Science, School Career Days and Big Bang Fair to increase knowledge of the brain and STEM research amongst members of the public.

Teaching

• Part 1: Pathology and Histology
• Part 2: Physiological Biochemistry
• Part 2: Practical Animal Behaviour
• Part 3: Medical Genetics
• Part 3: Special Topics in Endocrinology
• Part 3: Neurobiology (Module Convenor)

Esteem Factors

• Was PI on a NSF CAREER (USA) grant "Role of nongenomic estrogen signaling in neuromorphology and behavior (April 2011- Dec 2015; 1 million USD).
• Co-investigator on NIH R01 Grant "Short term estradiol in middle age: implications for female cognitive aging" (2012-2017; 1,388,365 USD; PI: Dr. Daniels).
• Co-investigator on MRC grant "The Mouth Gut Brain Model" 2017-2019; 188983 GBP; PI: Dr. Lisa Methven, UoR.
• Reviewer for endocrine and molecular endocrine journals.
• Reviewer for National Science Foundation (NSF), USA and for ALW, MRC, BBSRC grants.
• Editorial Board Member, Nuclear Receptor Research.

International and National Collaborators

• Dr Kiran Soma, University of British Columbia, Canada
• Dr Jeffrey Tasker, Dr Gary Dohanich & Dr Jill Daniels, Tulane University, USA
• Dr Sonoko Ogawa, Tsukuba University, Japan
• Dr. Shinji Tsukahara, Saitama University.
• Dr. Eva Kevei, Dr. Francesco Tamagnini, Dr. Evangelos Delivopoulos, Dr. Yoshikatsu Hayashi, Dr. Zuowei Wang, Professor Claire Williams, Professor Slawomir Nasuto and Professor Bhisma Chakrabarti: from either SBS, Psychology, Pharmacy or Mathematics, University of Reading.

2015

Rainville J., Pollard K., and Vasudevan N. (2015). Membrane-initiated non-genomic signaling by estrogens in the hypothalamus: cross-talk with glucocorticoids with implications for behavior. Frontiers in Endocrinology 6.

Fisher M., and Vasudevan N. (2015). Cognition and Anxiety are regulated by Thyroid Hormone Signaling. Immunology, Endocrine and Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 15 (1): 60-70. (Invited review).

Clark S., Pollard K., Rainville J., and Vasudevan N. (2015). Detection of the Phosphorylation of the Estrogen Receptor alpha as an outcome of GPR30 activation. In: Eyster K, editor. Estrogen Receptors: Methods and Protocols, p 457-470. Humana Press, New York.

2014

Clark, S., Rainville, J., Zhao, X., Katzenellenbogen, B., Pfaff, D.W and Vasudevan, N. (2014). Estrogen receptor-mediated transcription involves the activation of multiple kinase pathways in neuroblastoma cells. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 139:45-53.

Anchan, D., Clark, S., Pollard, K., and Vasudevan, N. (2014). GPR30 activation decreases anxiety in the open field test but not in the elevated plus maze test in female mice. Brain and Behavior 4(1):51-59.

Buras, A.*, Battle, L., Landers, E*., Nguyen, T.*, and Vasudevan N. (2014). Thyroid hormones regulate anxiety in the male mouse. Hormones and Behavior 65:88-96.

Hawley, W.R., Grissom, E.M., Moody, N.M.*, Dohanich, W.P., and Vasudevan, N. (2014). Activation of G-protein-coupled receptor 30 is sufficient to enhance spatial recognition memory in ovariectomized rats. Behavioral Brain Research 262:68-73.

Anchan, D., Gafur, A.*, Sano, K., Ogawa, S., and Vasudevan, N. (2014) Activation of the GPR30 receptor promotes lordosis in female mice. Neuroendocrinology 100 (1): 71-80.

2013

Vasudevan, N., Sano, K., Nagata, K., Nakata, M., Uchimura, T., Xiao, K., Tsuda, M.C., and Ogawa, S. (2013). Loss of neuronal ERa abolishes sexual and aggressive behaviors in male mice. Tsukuba Psychological Research 45:1-9.

Vasudevan N., Morgan M., Pfaff D.W., and Ogawa, S. (2013). Distinct behavioral phenotypes in male mice lacking the thyroid hormone receptor a1 or b isoforms. Hormones and Behavior 63:742-751.

Hart, D.*, Nilges, M., Pollard, K., Lynn, T.*, Patsos, O.*, Shiel, C.,* Clark, S.M., and Vasudevan, N. (2013). Activation of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPR30) has different effects on anxiety in male and female mice. Steroids S0039-128X:00248-1.

2005-2012

Bahadur, U., Ganjam G.K., Vasudevan N., and Kondaiah, P. (2005). Estrogen regulation of chicken riboflavin carrier protein gene is mediated by ERE half sites without direct binding of estrogen receptor. Mol Cell Endocrinol 231(1-2):1-11.

Zhao, X., Lorenc, H.*, Stephenson, H.*, Wang, J.*, Witherspoon, D.*, Katzenellenbogen, B., Pfaff, D. W., and Vasudevan, N. (2005). Thyroid hormone can increase estrogen-mediated transcription from a consensus estrogen response element in neuroblastoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102:4890-4895.

Vasudevan, N., Kia, H.K., Hadjimarkou, M., Koibuchi, N., Chin, W.W., Forrest, D., Vennstrom, B., and Pfaff, D.W. (2005). Retinoid related receptor (ROR)a mRNA expression is altered in the brain of male mice lacking all ligand-binding thyroid hormone receptor (TR) isoforms. Endocrine 26:25-32.

Zhao, X., MacBride, M. M., Pfaff, D. W., Peterson, B. R., and Vasudevan, N (2005). Calcium flux in neuroblastoma cells is a coupling mechanism between non-genomic and genomic modes of estrogens. Neuroendocrinology 81:174-182.

Vasudevan, N., and Pfaff, D.W. (2007). Membrane initiated actions of estrogens in Neuroendocrinology: Emerging Principles. Endocrine Reviews 28 (1):1-19.

Vasudevan, N and Pfaff, D.W. (2008). Non genomic actions of estrogens and their interaction with genomic actions in the brain. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinolgy 29 (2):238-57.

Vasudevan, N., Kow, L. M., and Pfaff, D. W. (2005). Integration of steroid hormone inititated membrane action to genomic function in the brain. Steroids 70:388-39 (Invited review).

Vasudevan N., and Pfaff D.W. (2005). Molecular mechanisms of crosstalk between thyroid hormones and estrogens. Current Opinion in Endocrinology and Diabetes 12:381-388 (Invited Review).

Zhao, X., Pfaff, D. W., and Vasudevan, N. (2006). Estrogens and thyroid hormone: Non-genomic effects are coupled to transcription. Current Medicinal Chemistry - Immunology, Endocrine and Metabolic agents 6: 267-280 (Invited review).

Prior to 2005

Pfaff, D.W., Vasudevan, N., Kia, H.K., Zhu, Y.-S., Chan, J., Garey, J., Morgan, M., and Ogawa, S. (2000). Estrogens, brain and behavior: studies in fundamental neurobiology and observations related to women's health. J Steroid Biochemistry 74:365-373.

Vasudevan, N., Davidkova, G., Zhu, Y. S., Koibuchi, N., Chin, W. W., and Pfaff, D. W. (2001). Differential interaction of estrogen receptor and thyroid hormone receptor isoforms on the rat oxytocin receptor promoter leads to differences in transcriptional regulation. Neuroendocrinology 74(5):309-334.

Vasudevan, N., Zhu, Y. S., Daniel, S.*, Koibuchi, N., Chin, W. W., and Pfaff, D. W. (2001). Crosstalk between estrogen receptors and thyroid hormone receptor isoforms results in differential regulation of the preproenkephalin gene. J Neuroendocrinology 13:779-790.

Vasudevan, N., Koibuchi, N., Chin, W. W., and Pfaff, D. W. (2001). Differential crosstalk between estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and ER beta and the thyroid hormone receptor isoforms results in flexible regulation of the consensus ERE. Mol Brain Res 95(1-2):9-17.

Vasudevan, N., Bahadur, U., and Kondaiah, P. (2001). Characterisation of chicken riboflavin carrier protein gene structure and promoter regulation by estrogen. J. Biosci 26(1):39-46.

Vasudevan, N., Kow, L. M., and Pfaff, D. W. (2001). Early membrane estrogenic effects required for full expression of slower genomic actions in a nerve cell line. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 98(21), 12267-12271.

Vasudevan, N., Kia, H.K., Inoue, S., Muramatsu, M., and Pfaff, D. W. (2002). Isoform Specificity for Oestrogen Receptor and Thyroid Hormone Receptor Genes and Their Interactions on the NR2D Gene Promoter. J Neuroendocrinology 14:836-842.

Vasudevan, N., Ogawa, S., and Pfaff, D. W. (2002). Estrogen and thyroid hormone receptor interactions: Physiological flexibility by molecular specificity. Physiological Reviews 82 (4), 923-944 (Peer reviewed).

Pfaff, D. W., Vasudevan, N., and Attardi, B. (1999). Neuroendocrine Regulation of Sexual Behavior. In P. Conn and M. Freeman (Eds.), Neuroendocrinology in Physiology and Medicine, pp. 287-299. Humana Press, Totowa NJ.

Kia, H. K., Vasudevan, N., and Pfaff, D. W. (2000). New concepts in the neuroendocrine regulation of female reproductive behavior. In M. Filicori (Ed.), Endocrine basis of reproductive behavior, pp. 69-76. Monduzzi, Bologna.

Pfaff, D. W., Ogawa, S., Kia, H. K., Vasudevan, N., Krebs, C., Frohlich, J., and Kow, L. M. (2002). Genetic mechanisms in neural and hormonal controls over female reproductive behaviors. In D. W. Pfaff, A. Arnold, A. Etgen, S. Fahrbach, and R. Rubin (Eds.), Hormones, Brain and Behavior, Vol. 3, Academic Press, San Diego.

Kow, L. M., Vasudevan, N., and Pfaff, D. W. (2004). Mechanisms of steroid hormone action on developing and adult hypothalamic nerve cells: biophysical and molecular studies relevant for hormone-dependent behaviors. In Claude Kordon (Ed) Hormones and the Brain. pp 73 - 79. Springer Verlag, Heidelberg.