John Danias, M.D., Ph.D. Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Ophthalmology State University of New York, Downstate, Brooklyn NY NAME
POSITION TITLE
Danias, Ioannis (John)
Professor of Ophthalmology and Cell Biology Vice-Chair for Research, Ophthalmology
EDUCATION / TRAINING INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
University of Athens Medical School, Athens Greece University of Athens Medical School, Athens Greece Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY Lenox Hill Hospital, NY Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY
DEGREE
MM/YY
MD
10/89
PhD Medicine Postdoctoral Internship Residency Fellowship
10/91 06/93 06/94 06/97 06/98
FIELD OF STUDY
Medicine Histology & Embryology / Molecular Biology Glaucoma Medicine Ophthalmology Glaucoma
A. Personal Statement I am a clinician scientist with interest in glaucoma. My laboratory has been working with various animal models of glaucoma for the past 16 years. This body of work encompasses the molecular events that lead to both IOP elevation as well as optic nerve and axonal neurodegeneration. We were the developers of the Tonolab tonometer and were one of the first labs to point out the relationship between complement activation and glaucomatous neurodegeneration. In collaboration with Dr Candia we developed the bovine and later ovine models of steroid-induced IOP elevation. More recently we have developed a mouse model of steroidinduced glaucoma. As a clinician scientist I see and treat patients with glaucoma as part of my regular clinical activities. This clinical exposure gives me a unique perspective in appreciating the real burden of this disease to the quality of life as well as the financial implications for the society. I strive to improve our understanding of glaucoma in an effort to develop new therapeutics that will prevent or reverse visual loss caused by this blinding disease.
B. Positions and Honors Positions and Employment 7/1998-6/2005: Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY 7/2005-2/2009: Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY 7/2006-2/2009: Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY 3/2009-present: Professor, Departments of Ophthalmology and Cell Biology, State University of New York, Downstate, Brooklyn NY 3/2014-present: Vice-Chair for Research, Department of Ophthalmology, State University of New York, Downstate, Brooklyn NY
Other Experience and Professional Memberships 1993Member of Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 1995-
Member of American Academy of Ophthalmology.
1998-
Member of American Glaucoma Society
2000-
Member of the NY Glaucoma Society, President for 2012-2013
Honors/Awards Lewis Rudin Glaucoma prize 2006 Regular Member of NIH DPVS study section 2012-2018
C. Selected peer-reviewed publications (from a total of 43) Candia OA, Gerometta RM, Danias J. Tissue plasminogen activator reduces the elevated intraocular pressure induced by prednisolone in sheep. Exp Eye Res. 2014 Nov;128:114-6. Epub 2014 Oct 7. Astafurov K, Elhawy E, Ren L, Dong CQ, Igboin C, Hyman L, Griffen A, Mittag T, Danias J. Oral microbiome link to neurodegeneration in glaucoma. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 2;9(9):e104416. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone. 0104416. eCollection 2014. Astafurov K, Dong CQ, Panagis L, Kamthan G, Ren L, Rozenboym A, Perera TD, Coplan JD, Danias J. Complement expression in the retina is not influenced by short-term pressure elevation. Mol Vis. 2014 Jan 31;20:140-52. eCollection 2014. Mostafavi D, Nagel D, Danias J. Haptic-induced postoperative complications. Evaluation using ultrasound biomicroscopy. Can J Ophthalmol. 2013 Dec;48(6):478-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjo.2013.03.017. Gerometta R, Kumar S, Shah S, Alvarez LJ, Candia OA, Danias J. Reduction of steroid-induced intraocular pressure elevation in sheep by tissue plasminogen activator. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Oct 31. iovs.1312801. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:24176900 Kumar S, Shah S, Tang HM, Smith M, Borrรกs T, Danias J. Tissue plasminogen activator in trabecular meshwork attenuates steroid induced outflow resistance in mice. PLoS One. 2013 Aug 19;8(8):e72447. PMID: 23977299 Torrejon KY, Pu D, Bergkvist M, Danias J, Sharfstein ST, Xie Y. Recreating a human trabecular meshwork outflow system on microfabricated porous structures. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2013 Jun 15. [Epub ahead of print] Kumar S, Shah S, Deutsch ER, Tang HM, Danias J. Triamcinolone acetonide decreases outflow facility in C57BL/6 mouse eyes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Jan 15. [Epub ahead of print] Lim H, Danias J. Effect of axonal micro-tubules on the morphology of retinal nerve fibers studied by secondharmonic generation. J Biomed Opt. 2012 Nov 1;17(11):110502. doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.17.11.110502. PMID:23089666 Elhawy E, Kamthan G, Dong CQ, Danias J. Pseudoexfoliation syndrome, a systemic disorder with ocular manifestations. Hum Genomics. 2012 Oct 10;6:22. Lim H, Danias J. Label-free morphometry of retinal nerve fiber bundles by second-harmonic-generation microscopy. Opt Lett. 2012 Jun 15;37(12):2316-8. doi: 10.1364/OL.37.002316. PMID:22739893
Danias J, Gerometta R, Ge Y, Ren L, Panagis L, Mittag TW, Candia OA, Podos SM. Gene expression changes in steroid-induced IOP elevation in bovine trabecular meshwork. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011 Nov 7;52(12):8636-45. Print 2011 Nov. Panagis L, Zhao X, Ge Y, Ren L, Mittag TW, Danias J. Retinal gene expression changes related to IOP exposure and axonal loss in DBA/2J mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011 Oct 3;52(11):7807-16. Print 2011. Blitzer AL, Panagis L, Gusella GL, Danias J, Mlodzik M, and Iomini C. Primary cilia dynamics instruct tissue patterning and repair of corneal endothelium Proc Natl Aacd Sci USA 2011 Feb 15;108(7):2819-24. Epub 2011 Feb 1. Ren L, Danias J. A role for complement in glaucoma? Adv Exp Med Biol. 2010;703:95-104. PMID: 20711709 Panagis L, Zhao X, Ge Y, Ren L, Mittag TW, Danias J. Gene Expression Changes in Areas of Focal Loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGC) in the Retina of DBA/2J Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010 51:2024-34. Epub 2009 Sep 8. Tektas OY, Hammer CM, Danias J, Candia O, Gerometta R, Podos SM, Lütjen-Drecoll E. Morphologic changes in the outflow pathways of bovine eyes treated with corticosteroids. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010; 51:4060-6. Epub 2010 Mar 17. Gerometta R, Podos SM, Danias J, Candia OA. Steroid-induced ocular hypertension in normal sheep. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2009 Feb;50(2):669-73. Epub 2008 Sep 29. Nissirios N, Chanis R, Johnson E, Morrison J, Cepurna WO, Jia L, Mittag T, Danias J. Comparison of anterior segment structures in two rat glaucoma models: an ultrasound biomicroscopic study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Jun;49(6):2478-82. Stasi K, Nagel D, Yang X, Ren L, Mittag T, Danias J. Ceruloplasmin upregulation in retina of murine and human glaucomatous eyes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007 Feb;48(2):727-32. Reichstein D, Ren L, Filippopoulos T, Mittag T, Danias J. Apoptotic retinal ganglion cell death in the DBA/2 mouse model of glaucoma. Exp Eye Res. 2007 84(1): 13-21. Epub 2006 Oct 30. Filippopoulos T, Danias J, Chen B, Podos SM and Mittag T. Topographic and Morphologic Analysis of Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss in Old DBA/2NNia Mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci., 2006 47: 1968-74. Filippopoulos T, Matsubara A, Danias J, Huang W, Dobberfuhl A, Ren L, Mittag T, Miller JW and Grosskreutz CL. Predictability and limitations of non-invasive murine tonometry – comparison of two devices. Exp Eye Res, 2006 83: 194-201, Epub 2006] Mar 24 Morris CA, Crowston JG, Lindsey JD, Danias J, Weinreb RN. Comparison of invasive and non-invasive tonometry in the mouse. Exp Eye Res. 2006 82: 1094-9, Epub 2006 Feb 7 Stasi K, Nagel D, Yang X, Wang RF, Ren L, Podos S.M, Mittag T, Danias J. Complement Component 1Q (C1Q) upregulation in retina of murine, primate and human glaucomatous eyes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci., 2006 47(3):1024-9. Danias J, Shen F, Kavalarakis M, Chen B, Goldblum D, Lee K, Zamora MF, Su Y, Podos SM, Mittag T. Characterization of retinal damage in the episcleral vein cauterization rat glaucoma model. Exp Eye Res. Exp Eye Res. 2006 82: 219-28. Epub 2005 Aug 16. Erratum in: Exp Eye Res. 2006 83: 1002. Brodie, Scott E [added] Shen F, Chen B, Danias J, Lee KC, Lee HK, Su Y, Podos SM, Mittag T.: Glutamate-induced glutamine synthetase (GS) expression in retinal Müller cells after short-term ocular hypertension in the rat. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 45(9): 3107-3112, 2004.
Gerometta R, Podos SM, Candia OA, Wu B, Mittag T, Danias J.: Steroid-induced ocular hypertension in normal cattle. Arch Ophthalmol 122(10):1492-7, 2004. Danias J, Lee KC, Zamora MF, Chen B, Shen F, Filippopoulos T, Su Y, Goldblum D, Podos SM, Mittag T.: Quantitative analysis of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss in aging DBA/2NNia glaucomatous mice: comparison with RGC loss in aging C57/BL6 mice. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci., 44(12):5151-62, 2003. Danias J, Kontiola AI, Filippopoulos T, Mittag T: Method for the non-invasive measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) in mice Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 44:1138-41, 2003 Goldblum D, Kontiola AI, Mittag T, Chen B, Danias J: Non-invasive determination of intraocular pressure in the rat eye. Comparison of an electronic tonometer (TonoPen), and a rebound (impact probe) tonometer. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol, 240: 942-946, 2002. Kontiola AI, Goldblum D, Mittag T and Danias J: Induction/Impact (Rebound) tonometry: A new method for measuring IOP in the rat. Exp Eye Res 2001, 73:781-785. Gow A, Southwood CM, Li JS, Pariali M, Riordan GP, Brodie SE, Danias J, Bronstein JM, Kachar B and Lazzarini RA: CNS Myelin and Sertoli Cell Tight Junction strands are absent in Osp/Claudin-11 Null Mice. Cell, 99:649-659, 1999.
D. Research Support Research Projects Ongoing or Completed During the Last 5 Years: Ongoing 1. "Complement activation in glaucoma" Principal Investigator: Ioannis (John) Danias, MD, PhD Agency: National Eye Institute Type: R01 (EY15224) Period: September 6, 2004 to August 30, 2013. No Cost Extension to 8/30/2014 The long-term objective of this project is to determine the molecular mechanisms leading to the development of retinal pathology in glaucoma and how complement is involved in this process. Overlap: None Completed 1. Development of an artificial trabecular meshwork Principal Investigator: John Danias Agency: American Glaucoma Society Type: Mid-Career investigator award. Period: 5/2012-4/2014 The objective of this project is to generate an artificial trabecular meshwork for screening drug effects Overlap: None 2. "Molecular mechanisms in steroid-induced glaucoma" Principal Investigator: Oscar Candia MD, Ioannis (John) Danias, MD, PhD (MPI) Agency: National Eye Institute Type: R01 (EY20670) Period: April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2014. The long-term objective of this project is to determine the molecular mechanisms leading to the development of steroid induced IOP elevation. Overlap: None