Frank J. Castora, PhD
Professor, Course Director

Lewis Hall, 3146
Office: (757) 446-5657
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Professional Experiences

• Professor, Biochemistry, Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 2010-present
• Course Director, Biochemistry, Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 2010-present
• Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 1996-present
• Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, 1989-present
• Associate Professor, Biochemistry, Department of Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 1999-2010
• Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 1988-1999
• Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1981-1988
• Research Lecturer in Biochemistry, Biochemistry Department, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1980-1981
• National Research Service Award Fellow, Biochemistry Department, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1980-1981
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Biochemistry Department, SUNY at Stony Brook, 1976-1980
• Lecturer, Chemistry Department, Rutgers University, 1975-1976
• Charles and Johanna Busch Fellow, Chemistry Department, Rutgers University, 1973-1975

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, 1976-1981
• Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 1976
• B.S., Chemistry, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, 1971

Selected Publications

Hamblet NS, Ragland B, Ali M, Conyers B, Castora FJ. (2006) Mutations in mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome c oxidase subunits I, II, and III genes detected in Alzheimer's disease using single-strand conformation polymorphism. Electrophoresis. 27(2):398-408

Castora FJ, Cazares LH, Conyers B, Wright GW Jr. (2005) Profiling of mitochondrial proteins from patients with Alzheimer's disease using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrophotometry. Submitted to Cell Biochem Biophys. (in revision)

Castora FJ. (2005) Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stoke-like episodes (MELAS): A case of mitochondrial myopathy. Clinical Studies in Medical Biochemistry, 3rd Ed., Oxford University Press (in press)

Tinkle MB, Castora FJ. (2002) Mitochondrial Disorders: A Clinician's Primer. MEDSURG Nursing. 11:25-29

Castora FJ, Conyers B. (2001) The human mitochondrial DNA topoisomerase from campthothecin-resistant CEM/C2 is sensitive to inhibition by camptothecin. Faseb J. 15:A520

Castora FJ, Hamblet NS, Conyers B. (2000) Mutation in cytochrome c oxidase subunit III in Alzheimer's disease. Amer J Hum Genet. 67:338

Castora FJ. (1998) Enzymology of Recombinant DNA. Chapter 3 in Recombinant DNA Principles and Methodologies. (eds. J.J. Greene and V.B. Rao), Marcel Dekker, Inc., NY, pp. 71-180

Hamblet NS, Castora FJ. (1997) Elevated levels of the Kearns-Sayre syndrome mitochondrial DNA deletion in temporal cortex of Alzheimer's patients. Mutat Res. 379(2):253-262

Seidman MD, Khan MJ, Murphy MP, Quirk WS, Castora FJ. (1996) The Association of Mitochondrial DNA Deletions and Cochlear Pathology: A Molecular Biologic Tool. Laryngoscope. 106:777-783

Naidu S, Nyman S, Harris E, Castora FJ. (1995) Rett Syndrome: Studies of Natural History and Search for a Genetic Marker. Neuropediatrics. 26:63-66

Topcu Z, Castora FJ. (1995) Mammalian mitochondrial DNA topoisomerase I preferentially relaxes supercoils in plasmids containing specific mitochondrial DNA sequences. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1264(3):377-387

Ciavarra RP, Goldman C, Wen KK, Tedeschi B, Castora FJ. (1994) Heat stress induces hsc70/nuclear topoisomerase I complex formation in vivo: evidence for hsc70-mediated, ATP-independent reactivation in vitro. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 91(5):1751-1755

Erickson CE, Castora FJ. (1993) PCR amplification using a single cell allows the detection of the mtDNA lesion associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1181(1):77-82

Ciavarra RP, Duvall W, Castora FJ. (1992) Induction of thermotolerance in T cells protects nuclear DNA topoisomerase I from heat stress. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 186(1):166-172

Castora FJ, Erickson CE, Kovacs T, Lesiak K, Torrence PF. (1991) 2",5'-oligoadenylates inhibit relaxation of supercoiled DNA by calf thymus DNA topoisomerase I. J Interferon Res. 11(3):143-149

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