Christopher Schonhoff, Ph.D.

Bench Research:

My bench research has largely centered on the biochemistry of nitric oxide (NO) and the role it plays in regulating cellular signaling. My dissertation focused on the regulation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) induction during neuronal differentiation. The second half of my dissertation involved studies investigating a potential mechanism by which nitric oxide (NO) regulates binding between p53 and one of its chief regulators, Hdm2. We found that nitric oxide inhibited binding between Hdm2 and p53 by modifying a critical cysteine residue on Hdm2 via S-nitrosylation. During my postdoctoral fellowship, I continued to investigate various aspects of nitric oxide signaling. Specifically, we examined a mechanism by which nitric oxide regulates caspases and cytochrome c during apoptosis. My postdoctoral work culminated in a study that demonstrated aberrant S-nitrosylation levels were present in mutant mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and this contributes to disease progression.

From 2005 to 2015, I was as a research assistant professor working in the Liver Function Laboratory at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. This group had a long-standing interest in the molecular mechanisms that govern bile formation. We used biochemical and molecular approaches to study the regulation of the sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) and multidrug resistant associated protein 2 (MRP2) in rat hepatocytes. My research in the Liver Function Laboratory also focused on the role that nitric oxide may have in the regulation of NTCP function. This research was supported by a New Investigator Grant that I received from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. From 2016 to 2022, I worked in the Section of Neuroscience and Reproductive Biology at the veterinary school and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2018. I employed primary neuronal culture to examine the sex-dependent effects of opioids on striatal dendritic morphology and axonal growth.

Teaching/Pedagogical Research:

At Tufts Veterinary School I taught and served as course director for three of the major first-year courses in Biochemistry and Physiology. My commitment to teaching excellence and inclusive pedagogy was recognized at the university level when I was awarded the 2021 Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award, the highest teaching award given at the veterinary school. My current research interests include pedagogical research. Specifically, I investigate the effectiveness that active learning interventions have in the enhance motivation and learning in basic science courses. At BU Medical School, I am teaching Physiology in the Medical School, MAMS program, Dental School, and School of Public Health.

Links:

BU Profile
ResearchGate
Google Scholar
LinkedIn

Contact Us

Christopher Schonhoff, Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics
Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
700 Albany Street, W408F
Boston MA 02118-2526

Phone:(617) 358-8472
e-mail: cschon01@bu.edu