Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D.

Biography

Dr. Randy Blakely holds the David J. S. Nicholson Distinguished Professorship in Neuroscience and is Professor of Biomedical Science in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. He is the founding Executive Director of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and serves as the Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program at FAU. Blakely, a molecular neuroscientist, is widely known for his cloning and investigation of genes responsible for the natural inactivation of neurotransmitters. The proteins encoded by the proteins encoded by these genes are major targets for abused drugs and medications including cocaine, amphetamine, Adderall, Ritalin, Prozac, and other major antidepressants. His work has uncovered novel genetic and biochemical contributions to cardiovascular, cognitive, behavioral, neuromuscular, and neurodegenerative disorders. He has published more than 350 research papers in high-impact journals including Science, Nature, Neuron and PNAS. Blakely’s discoveries have resulted in more than a dozen patents, leading to his induction into the U.S. National Academy of Inventors, as well as the American Academy for the Advancement of Science. In 2022, Blakely received the Neuroscience Educator Award from the Society for Neuroscience, the world’s largest organization supporting neuroscience research and education in the world.

Dr. Blakely's Research

Education

• Undergraduate
  • Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 1977-1981
    Major: Philosophy summa cum laude:  Thesis Advisor, James Gouinlock
    Minors: Physics, Chemistry
• Graduate
  • Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 1981-1983
    Masters Program, Department of Biology
  • The Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 1983-1987
    Doctoral Program in Neuroscience: Ph.D.
    Thesis Adviser: Dr. Joseph T. Coyle
• Postdoctoral
  • HHMI/Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 1987-1990
    Postdoctoral Advisor: Dr. Susan Amara

Work History

• 1990-1994: Assistant Professor, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Emory Univ. SOM
• 1993-1994: Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory Univ. SOM
• 1993-1994: Assistant Professor of Physiology, Emory Univ. SOM
• 1994-1995: Associate Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Emory Univ. SOM
• 1995-1998: Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University SOM
• 1996-2011: Director, Vanderbilt Center for Molecular Neuroscience
• 1998-2016: Professor of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University SOM
• 1999-2001: Director, NIMH Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience Training Program
• 2002-2016: Director, Vanderbilt/NIMH Postdoctoral Training Program in Functional Neurogenomics
• 2004-2016: Professor of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt School of Medicine
• 2006-2007: Director, Vanderbilt Brain Institute (Interim)
• 2007-2017: Director, Vanderbilt/NIMH Silvio O. Conte Center for Basic Neuroscience Research
• 2016-present: Professor, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt
• 2018-2021: Director, FAU Graduate Neuroscience Training Program (GNTP)
• 2016-present: Executive Director, FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute
• 2016-present: Adjunct Professor of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute (Florida)
• 2016-present: Training Faculty, Intergrative Biology - Neuroscience (IB-NS), FAU
• 2016-present: Training Faculty, International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) Program
• 2021-present: Director, Florida Atlantic University Neuroscience Graduate Program

Scholarly Activity

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Blakely, R.D., Robinson, M. B., and Amara, S. G. Expression of neurotransmitter transport from rat brain mRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 85:9846-9850, 1988. [PMID: 2904681]
• Pacholczyk, T., Blakely, R.D., and Amara, S. G. Expression cloning of a cocaine- and antidepressant-sensitive human noradrenaline transporter, Nature, 350:350-354, 1991. [PMID: 2008212]
• Blakely, R.D., Berson, H.E., Fremeau, Jr., R.T., Caron, M.G., Peek, M.M., Prince, H.K., and Bradley, C.C.  Cloning and expression of a functional serotonin transporter from rat brain, Nature, 354:66-70, 1991. [PMID: 1944572]
• Fremeau, Jr., R.T., Caron, M.G., and Blakely, R.D. Molecular cloning and expression of a high-affinity L-proline transporter expressed in putative glutamatergic pathways of rat brain, Neuron, 8:915-926, 1992. [PMID: 1350201]
• Ramamoorthy, S., Bauman, A.L., Moore, K.R., Han, H., Yang-Feng, T., Chang, A.S., Ganapathy, V., and Blakely, R.D. Antidepressant- and cocaine-sensitive human serotonin transporter: Molecular cloning, expression, and chromosomal localization, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 90:2542-2546, 1993. [PMID: 7681602]
• Galli, A., Blakely, R.D., and DeFelice, L.J.  Norepinephrine transporters have channel modes of conduction, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 93:8671-8676, 1996. [PMID: 8710929]
• Galli, A., Blakely, R.D., and DeFelice, L.J. Patch-clamp and amperometric recordings from norepinephrine transporters: Channel activity and voltage-dependent uptake, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 95:13260-13265, 1998. [PMID: 9789076]
• Ramamoorthy, S. and Blakely, R.D. Phosphorylation and sequestration of serotonin transporters differentially modulated by psychostimulants, Science, 285:763-766, 1999. [PMID:10427004]
• Shannon, J.R., Flattem, N.L., Jordan, J., Jacob, G., Black, B.K, Biaggioni, I., Blakely, R.D., and Robertson, D. Orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia associated with norepinephrine transporter deficiency, New Engl J Med, 342:541-549, 2000. [PMID: 10684912]
• Nass, R., Hall, D.H., Miller, III, D.M., and Blakely, R.D. Neurotoxin-induced degeneration of dopamine neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 99:3264-3269, [PMID: 11867711]
• Ferguson, S.M., Bazalakova, M., Savchenko, V., Tapia, J.C., Wright, J., Blakely, R.D. Lethal  impairment of cholinergic neurotransmission in hemicholinium-3-sensitive choline transporter knockout mice, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 101:8762-8767, 2004. [PMID: 15173594]
• Prasad, H.C., Zhu, C.B., McCauley, J.L., Samuvel, D.J., Ramamoorthy, S., Shelton, R.C., Hewlett, W.A., Sutcliffe, J.S., Blakely, R.D. Human serotonin transporter variants display altered sensitivity to protein kinase G and p38 mitogen activated protein kinase, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 102:11545-11550, 2005. [PMID: 16055563; PMCID: 1183547]
• Carneiro, A.M.D., Cook, E.H., Murphy, D.L., Blakely, R.D., Interactions between integrin αIIbβ3 and the serotonin transporter regulate serotonin transport and platelet aggregation, J Clin Invest, 118:1544-1552, 2008. [PMID: 18317590; PMCID: 2260909]
• Carvelli, L., Blakely, R.D., DeFelice, L.J., Dopamine transporter/syntaxin 1A interactions regulate transporter channel activity and dopaminergic synaptic transmission, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 105:14192-14197, 2008. [PMID: 18768815, PMCID: 2528871]
• Carneiro, A.M.D., Airey, D.C., Thompson, B., Zhu, C., Lu, L, Chesler, E.J., Erikson, K.M., Blakely, R.D., Functional coding variation in recombinant inbred mouse lines reveals novel serotonin transporter-associated phenotypes, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 106:2047-2052, 2009. [PMID: 19179283, PMCID: 2632716]
• Thompson, B, Jessen, T., Henry, L., Field, J., Gamble, K., Gresch, P., Carneiro, A., Horton, R., Chisnell, P., McMahon, D., Daws, L., Blakely, R.D., Transgenic elimination of high-affinity antidepressant and cocaine sensitivity in the presynaptic serotonin transporter, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108:3785-3790, 2011. [PMID: 21282638; PMCID: 3048100]
• Bonnin A., Goeden, N., Chen, K., Wilson, M.L., King, J., Shih, J.C., Blakely, R.D., Deneris, E.S., Levitt, P.R., A transient placental source of serotonin for the fetal forebrain, Nature, 472:347-350, 2011. [PMID: 21512572; PMCID: 3084180]
• Veenstra-VanderWeele, J., Muller, C.L., Iwamoto, H., Sauer, J.E., Owens, W.A., Cohen, J., Shah, C.R., Mannangatti, P., Jessen, T., Thompson, B.J., Carneiro, A.M., Crawley, J.N., Bush, E.S., McMahon, D.G., Ramamoorthy, S., Daws, L.C., Sutcliffe, J.S., Blakely, R.D., Autism gene variant causes hyperserotonemia, serotonin receptor hypersensitivity, social impairment and repetitive behavior, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109: 5469-5474, 2012. [PMID 22431635; PMCID 3325657]
• Mergy, M.A., Gowrishankar, R., Gresch, P.J., Wheeler, C.A., Davis, G.L., Jessen, T.N., Wright, J., Stanwood, G.D., Blakely, R.D. The rare DAT variant Val559 perturbs DA neuron function, changes behavior and alters in vivo responses to psychostimulants, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 111:E4779-88, 2014, [PMID: 25331903; PMCID: 4226116]
• Robson, M.J., Quinlan, M.A., Margolis, K.G., Gajewski-Kurdziel, P., Veenstra-VanderWeele, J., Gershon, M.D., Watterson, D.M., and Blakely, R.D. p38α MAPK signaling drives pharmacologically reversible brain and gastrointestinal phenotypes in the SERT Ala56 mouse, Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA. Oct 23;115(43): E10245-E10254, 2018 [PMID:30297392; PMCID:6205348]
• Stewart, A., Mayer, F.P., Gowrishankar, F.P., Davis, G.L., Areal, L.B., Gresch, P.J., Katamish, R. M., Peart, R., Stilley, S.E., Spiess, K., Rabil, M.J., Dilijohn, F.A., Bodine, A., Vaughan, R.A., Hahn, M.K., and Blakely, R.D. Behaviorally penetrant, anomalous dopamine efflux exposes sex and circuit dependent regulation of dopamine transporters, Mol Psychiatry, 12:4869-4880, 2022. [PMID: 336352123: PMCID: In Process]
• Gradisch, R., Schlögl, K., Lazzarin, E., Niello, M., Maier, J., Mayer, F.P., Alves da Silva, L., Skopec, S. MC, Blakely, R.D. Sitte, H.H., Mihovilovic, M., and Stockner, T. Ligand coupling mechanism of the human serotonin transporter differentiates substrates from inhibitors, Nature Communications, 15:417 doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44637-6 [PMID: 38195746; PMCID: 10776687]

Patents

• Norepinephrine Transporter cDNA (Yale/Vollum Inst) International Patent# WO1992/017568
• Serotonin Transporter cDNA (Emory/Duke) US Patent# 5,418,162
• Proline Transporter cDNA (Emory/Duke) US Patent# 5,580,775
• Proline Transporter Polypeptides and Antibodies (Emory/ Duke) US Patent# 5,759,788
• C. elegans Dopamine Transporter sequence (Vanderbilt) U.S. Patent # 6,596,512
• Genetic Mutation Underlying Orthostatic Intolerance and Diagnostic and Therapeutic Methods Relating Thereto, (Vanderbilt) US Patent # 7,094,532
• Assay for Dopamine Neuron Viability using C. elegans, (Vanderbilt) US Patent# 6,894,205
• Assays for Novel Serotonin Transporter (SERT) Blockers, (Vanderbilt) US Patent# 7,439,039
• Human Choline Transporter cDNA, (Vanderbilt), US Patent #7,338,799
• Fluorescent Uptake Assay for Monoamine Neurotransmitters Transporters, (Vanderbilt), US Patent#7,318,917
• Fluorescent Substrates for Neurotransmitter Transporters, (Vanderbilt), US Patent# 8,647,827 B2
• Methods for Identifying Treatments that Reduce the Actions of Drugs of Abuse (FAU) US Patent #11693005
• Methods for Identifying MBLAC1-Dependent Molecular Networks (FAU) Non Provis Pat App, PTO 6818-319
• Composition and Methods Targeting SWIP-10 and MBLAC1 for the Therapeutic Modulation of Copper Dyshomeostasis, PCT/US23/33510

Selected Honors and Awards

• 1981: Phi Beta Kappa
• 1982: Sigma Xi Research Award
• 1990: Woodruff Neuroscience Investigator
• 1991-1994: Mallinckrodt Young Investigator Award
• 1992: Charles Judson Herrick Award, American Association of Anatomists
• 1995-2016: Allan D. Bass Endowed Chair in Pharmacology
• 1996: Established Investigator Award, NARSAD
• 1999: Daniel H. Efron Award for Research, ACNP
• 2003: Charles R. Park Prize for Basic Research
• 2005: Distinguished Investigator Award, NARSAD
• 2005: Zenith Award, Alzheimer’s Association
• 2008: Julius Axelrod Award, ASPET
• 2008: Astellas Award in Translational Pharmacology, ASPET
• 2009: F. Peter Guengerich Award for Postdoctoral Mentoring
• 2009: Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• 2013: Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Award for Research
• 2015: Delores C. Shockley Partnership Award for Minority Research Mentorship
• 2017: Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
• 2019: Southeastern University Research Association Distinguished Researcher Award
• 2019: Lifetime Achievement Award in STEM Education, Cox Science Center
• 2021: David J. S. Nicholson Distinguished Professorship in Neuroscience
• 2022: Science Educator Award, Society for Neuroscience

Professional Memberships

• Investigator, Vanderbilt Brain Institute (former)
• Investigator, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology (former)
• Investigator, Vanderbilt University Diabetes Center (former)
• Investigator, Vanderbilt University Autonomic Dysfunction Center (former)
• Investigator, Vanderbilt University Kennedy Center (former)
• Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Member, Society for Neuroscience
• Member, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
• Member, American Society of Human Genetics (former)
• Member, International Society for Psychiatric Genetics (former)
• Member, International Brain and Behavior Society
• Member, Middle Tennessee Chapter, Society for Neuroscience
• Member, Scientific Council, Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation
• Member, Genetics Society of America
• Member, NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors
• Chair, NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors
• Member, National Advisory Mental Health Council
• Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Elected Fellow, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
• Elected Member, Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives
• Member, Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society
• Elected Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, The Brain Foundation
• Member, Research Advisory Committee, Mind, Music, Movement Foundation (M3F)
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
• Investigator, Vanderbilt Brain Institute
• Investigator, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology
• Investigator, Vanderbilt University Diabetes Center
• Investigator, Vanderbilt University Autonomic Dysfunction Center
• Investigator, Vanderbilt University Kennedy Center
• Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Member, Society for Neuroscience
• Member, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
• Member, American Society of Human Genetics
• Member, International Society for Psychiatric Genetics
• Member, International Brain and Behavior Society
• Member, Middle Tennessee Chapter, Society for Neuroscience
• Member, Scientific Council, Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation
• Member, Genetics Society of America
• Member, NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors
• Chair, NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors
• Member, National Advisory Mental Health Council
• Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Elected Fellow, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
• Elected Member, Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives
• Member, Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society
• Elected Fellow, National Academy of Inventors
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, The Brain Foundation
• Member, Research Advisory Committee, Mind, Music, Movement Foundation (M3F)
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles

Recent Funding

• NIH/NIMH R01 MH094527 (Blakely, PI) Regulation of Serotonin Transporters 1992-2024
• ASCEND Program Advancing STEM-Community Engagement through Neuroscience Discovery, Stiles-Nicholson Foundation 2018-2024
• Community Foundation, (Blakely PI) Research on Addiction and Depression 2019-2022
• NIH/NINDS R01NS116914, Co-Inv (N. Quan, PI, Blakely, CoI) Neuroinflammation, Neuronal IL-1R1 and Behavior 2020-2025
• P. Srinivasan Fund to support neuroinfammatory research 2021-2022
• Psychiatric Neuroscience Institute support for serotonin research 2021-2022
• I-SENSE/CoE&CS Pilot Grant (Ranji and Blakely Co-PI) Optical Imaging-Based Assessment of Ex Vivo Metabolic Dysfunction in Mice with a Genetic Deficiency in MBLAC1, a Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease 2021-2022
• Brain Foundation Mechanism Supporting SERT Ala56 Induction of Inflammation 2021-2024
• Florida Department of Health: Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Research Foundation (Blakely, PI) In Vivo Functional Analysis of MBLAC1: A Novel Genetic Risk Factor in Alzheimer's Disease with Therapeutic Potential 2022-2024
• NIH/NIA R21 AG074846 (Blakely and Ushery, Co-PI) Neuronal IL-1R1 and Neuropsychiatric Traits of an Alzheimer’s Mouse Model 2022-2024
• Sharon and Ashby Fund of Community Foundation of Broward County (Blakely, PI) Addressing Today's Mental Health Challenges for a Better Tomorrow (Advancing Broward's Mental Health) 2023-2027
• JLSI/I-HEALTH Seed Proposal (Blakely and Bolton co-PI) Consequences and Possibilities for Treatment of Serotonergic mPFC Plasticities Induced in Female Mice by the Human Dopamine Transporter Coding Variant Ala559Val 2024-2025
• NIH R21 NS137239 (Fenollar Ferrer, PI, Blakely Co-I) Structural Mechanics of Serotonin Transport Acceleration
  pending
• NIH R21 (Fenollar Ferrer, PI, Blakely Co-I) Role of N-terminus and PIP2 in establishing capacity for kinase-mediated regulation of serotonin transport
  pending