Department of Neurology - Faculty

Torsten Falk, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Research Track
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Education/Training:

PhD: University of Hamburg, Germany, 1996

MS: University of Kaiserslautern, Germany, 1992

Clinical/Research Interests

Cell-based and gene-based strategies for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Selected Publications:

• Falk T, Meyerhof W, Corrette BJ, Schaefer J, Bauer CK, Schwarz JR, Richter D; Cloning, functional expression and mRNA distribution of an inwardly rectifying potassium channel protein. FEBS Letters 1995; 367, 127-131.
• Bauer CK, Falk T, Schwarz JR; An endogenous inactivating inwardly rectifying potassium current in oocytes of Xenopus laevis. Pflügers Archive, European Journal of Physiology 1996; 432, 812-820.
• Falk T, Garver WS, Erickson RP, Wilson JM, Yool AJ; Expression of Niemann-Pick type C transcript in rodent cerebellum in vivo and in vitro. Brain Research 1999; 839/1, 49-57. (Communicating Author)
• Falk T, Kilani RK, Yool AJ, Sherman SJ; Viral-vector mediated expression of K+ channels regulates excitability in skeletal muscle. Gene Therapy 2001; 8(18):1372-1379. (Communicating Author)
• Falk T, Kilani RK, Borders RS, Strazdas LA, Steidl JV, Yool AJ, Sherman SJ; Developmental regulation of the A-current in hippocampal neurons: Role of the Kv?1.1 potassium channel subunit. Neuroscience 2003; 120(2), 387-404.
• Falk T, Zhang SL, Erbe EL, Sherman SJ; Neurochemical and electrophysiological characteristics of rat striatal neurons in primary culture. Journal of Comparative Neurology 2006; 494: 275-289.
• McKay BS, Goodman B, Falk T, Sherman SJ; Retinal pigment epithelial cell transplantation could provide trophic support in Parkinson's disease: results from an in vitro model system. Experimental Neurology 2006; 201, 234-243.
• Falk T, Xie JY, Zhang SL, Kennedy J, Bennett J, Sherman SJ; Over-expression of the potassium channel Kir2.3 using the dopamine-1 receptor promoter selectively inhibits striatal neurons. Neuroscience 2008; 155:114-127. (Communicating Author)
• Falk T, Zhang SL, Sherman SJ; PEDF is neurotrophic and neuroprotective in two in vitro models of Parkinson's disease. Neuroscience Letters 2009; 458:49-52. (Communicating Author)
• Falk T, Zhang SL, Sherman SJ; Vascular endothelial growth factor B is up-regulated and exogenous VEGF-B is neuroprotective in a culture model of Parkinson’s disease. Molecular Neurodegeneration 2009; 4:49. (Communicating Author).
• Falk T, Gonzalez RT, Sherman SJ; The Yin and Yang of VEGF and PEDF: Multifaceted Neurotrophic Factors and their Potential in the Treatment of Parkinson’s disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2010; 11:2857-2900. (Communicating Author).
• Falk T, Yue X, Zhang SL, McCourt AD, Yee BJ, Gonzalez RT, Sherman SJ; Vascular endothelial growth factor B is neuroprotective in an in vivo model of Parkinson’s disease. Neuroscience Letters 2011; 496:43-47. (Communicating Author).
• Yue X, Falk T, Zuniga LA, Szabo L, Porreca F, Polt R, Sherman SJ; Effects of the opioid agonist MMP-2200 in preclinical models of Parkinson’s disease. Brain Research 2011; 1413: 72-83. (Communicating Author)
• Falk T, Congrove NR, Zhang SL, McCourt AD, Sherman SJ, McKay BS; PEDF and VEGF-A output from human retinal pigment epithelium cells grown on novel microcarriers. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology 2012; in press. (Communicating Author)