Ion channels/Receptors, Neurological disorders, Synaptic plasticity, Learning and memory

Mechanism of epileptogenesis in young and adult brain- Role of NMDA receptor subtypes in hippocampal neurons and astrocytes 2013-2020 (DBT)

The Role of NMDA and Dopamine receptors in the Spinal Pain Pathways 2016-2019 (DBT)

We mainly work on ion channels/receptors and its role in neurological diseases (Epilepsy and Pain). We use electrophysiology ( Field recordings and Patch Clamp) and molecular biology techniques to identify the role of ion channels/receptors subtypes in health and disease states, which will help us to identify mechanism of disease and better target for drug discovery.

Drug resistant epilepsy, Pain pathways

Ramalingaswami Fellowship, DBT, India

Ramanujan Fellowship, DST, India  

International PhD fellowship-Max-Planck Society, Germany

Qualified CSIR UGC-NET (Life Sciences) by the University Grant Commission of India

Awarded 1st Rank in MSc Biochemistry from the University  of Calicut, Kerala, India

Society for Neuroscience, USA

1) NMDA receptor GluN2 subtypes control epileptiform events in the hippocampus. Pradeep Punnakkal * & Deity Dominic, NeuroMolecular Medicine, 2018, Mar;20(1):90-96. *Corresponding author

2) Molecular Insights into the Roles of Rab Proteins in Intracellular Dynamics and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Shobi Veleri, Pradeep Punnakkal, GaryL. Dunbar, Panchanan Maiti, NeuroMolecular Medicine, 2018 Mar;20(1):18-36. 

3) Morphological, Biophysical and SynapticProperties of  Glutamatergic Neurons of the Mouse Spinal Dorsal Horn
Pradeep Punnakkal, Carolin Schoultz, Karen Haenraets, HendrikWildner  and Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer . JPhysiol. 2014, Feb; 592, 759-76. (IF 5.04) (Citation 60

4) Shared Synaptic Pathophysiology in Syndromic andNon-syndromic Rodent Models of Autism. StéphaneJ. Baudouin, Julien Gaudias, Stefan Gerharz, Laetitia Hatstatt, KuikuiZhou,Pradeep Punnakkal, Kenji F. Tanaka, Will Spooren, Rene Hen, Chris I. DeZeeuw KasparVogt, Peter Scheiffele. Science, 2012, Oct ; 338:128-32. (Citation 184)

5) Endocannabinoid-Dependent Plasticity at Spinal Nociceptor Synapses

AkoKato*, Pradeep Punnakkal* Alejandro Javier Pernía-Andrade, Carolin vonSchoultz, Salim Sharopov, Rita Nyilas, István Katona, and Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer J Physiol. 2012,Oct; 590 :4717- 33.(Citation33)

*Equal first author

 6) Influence of the intracellular GluN2 C-terminaldomain on NMDA receptor function. Pradeep Punnakkal, Patrick Jendritza,Georg Köhr, Neuropharmacology,

2012; Apr; 62(5-6):1985- 92. (Citation 22)

7) Presynaptic α2-GABA-A Receptors in PrimaryAfferent Depolarization and Spinal Pain Control. RobertWitschi*, Pradeep Punnakkal*, Jolly Paul*, Jean-Marc Fritschy, FernandoCervero, Rohini Kuner, Ruth Keist, Uwe Rudolph, Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer. JNeurosci. 2011, Jul; 31 :8134-8142. (Citation 82)

 *Equal first author

8) Lack of NMDA receptor subtype selectivity forhippocampal long-term potentiation.

SvenBerberich*, Pradeep Punnakkal*, Vidar Jensen, Verena Pawlak, Peter H. Seeburg,Øivind Hvalby, and Georg Kohr. J Neurosci. 2005 ; 25 :6907-10(Citation 318)
*Equal first author