A. Iván Hernández, PhD

Office:

BSB 4-109

Education and Training

• Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
  1992, Licenciate in Biochemistry with distinction. (M.S. equivalent).
• SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. Brooklyn, NY
  2003, Doctor in Philosophy, State University of New York

Honors and Awards

• 1997-1998 Treasurer of the Graduate School Student Council at SUNY-HSCB.
• 2001 Research day Travel Fellowship award. School of Graduate Studies, SUNY-HSCB.
• 2003-2004 Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award. Training fellowship (T32)
• 2005-Dec 2006 Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award. Fellowship (T32).
• 2021 Annual Research Day. School of Graduate Studies, SUNY-HSCB
• 2024 Dominick J. DiMaio Research Scholar Award, The College of Medicine and School of Graduate Studies Annual Convocation & Awards Ceremony for the Class of 2024.

Committees, Council, and Professional Society Memberships

• 1998-Present, Society for Neuroscience
• 2003-Present, New York Academy of Science.

Laboratory Members / Personnel

• Gloria Patricia Baena-Caldas, DDM, MSc, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate. gloria.baenacaldas@downstate.edu
• Andrew Tcherepanov, PhD, Postdoctoral associate. Andrew.Tcherepanov@downstate.edu

Research or Clinical Interest Summary

Dr. Alejandro Iván Hernández is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. He is a biochemist and a graduate of the Universidad Austral de Chile. His thesis focused on the expression of vitellogenin and the hepatic β-estradiol receptor during the acclimatization of the fish Cyprinus carpio, conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Manuel Krauskopf under the supervision of Dr. Rodolfo Amthauer. His subsequent doctoral thesis, in the area of neuroscience, focused on the molecular basis of memory maintenance in the laboratory of Dr. Todd C. Sacktor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. His postdoctoral work focused on the study of chromatin remodeling in neuronal plasticity and memory, conducted in the laboratories of James H. Schwartz and Samuel Schacher at Columbia University. Currently, he is focused on studying the molecular basis of synaptic plasticity and long-term memory, as well as their relationship with neurodegenerative and developmental diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Autism. His research explores how alterations in cellular machinery, such as ribosome biogenesis and energy synthesis, contribute to cognitive decline and other neuronal pathologies. His work suggests that altered ribosome and protein production are key cellular pathways affected in Alzheimer's disease. In more recent studies, he is also investigating the role of ribosome biogenesis in disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and energy-related alterations in Alzheimer's disease. His team also conducts studies related to stroke and its treatment, such as evaluating the compound RNS60 for its ability to reduce early vasogenic edema, mitigate infarction, and protect motor and cognitive functions.

• Baena-Caldas Gloria P, Li Jie, Ghosh Supurna, Kalmes Andreas, Baird Alison, Barone Frank C, and A. Iván Hernández. Abstract TP398: RNS60 Substantially Reduces Early Vasogenic Edema, Mitigates Infarct Area and Decreases Expression of HIF1α Four Days Post-Ischemic Stroke. Journal Stroke. 2025; 56(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1161/str.56.suppl_1.TP398
• Hou JY, Allen KD, Hernandez AI, Cottrell JE, Kass IS. Sevoflurane Preconditioning Rescues PKMζ Gene Expression from Broad Hypoxia-Induced mRNA Downregulation Correlating with Improved Neuronal Recovery. NeuroSci. 2025 Jan 28;6(1):9. doi: 10.3390/neurosci6010009
• Kalecký K, Buitrago L, Alarcon JM, Singh A, Bottiglieri T, Kaddurah-Daouk R, Hernández AI; Alzheimer’s Disease Metabolomics Consortium. Rescue of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and memory performance by Fingolimod (FTY720) in APP/PS1 model of Alzheimer's disease is accompanied by correction in metabolism of sphingolipids, polyamines, and phospholipid saturation composition. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Jan 18:2025.01.17.633452. doi:10.1101/2025.01.17.633452
• Vingan I, Phatarpekar S, Tung VSK, Hernández AI, Evgrafov OV, Alarcon JM. Spatially resolved transcriptomic signatures of hippocampal subregions and Arc-expressing ensembles in active place avoidance memory. Front Mol Neurosci. 2024 Oct 31;17:1386239. doi:10.3389/fnmol.2024.1386239
• Baena-Caldas GP, Li J, Pedraza L, Ghosh S, Kalmes A, Barone FC, Moreno H, Hernández AI. Neuroprotective effect of the RNS60 in a mouse model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. PLoS One. 2024 Jan 2;19(1):e0295504. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295504. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0295504
• Sokas P, Hsieh C, Flores-Obando RE, Bernabo M, Tcherepanov A, Hernández AI, Thomas C, Bergold PJ, Cottrell JE, Kremerskothen J, Shouval HZ, Nader K, Fenton AA, Sacktor TC. KIBRA anchoring the action of PKMζ maintains the persistence of memory. Sci Adv. 2024 Jun 28;10(26):eadl0030. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adl0030
• Baena-Caldas Gloria P, Li Jie, Ghosh Supurna, Kalmes Andreas, Barone Frank C, Moreno Herman and A. Iván Hernández. Abstract TP219: RNS60 brain protection in mouse ischemic stroke mitigates plasma tau and cortical microvascular perfusion. Journal Stroke. 2023; 54(1). Available from: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/str.54.suppl_1.TP219
• Baena-Caldas Gloria P, Li Jie, Pedraza Ortiz Lina Marcela, Ghosh Supurna, Kalmes Andreas, Barone Frank C, Moreno Herman and Hernández Alejandro. Abstract WP257: RNS60 provides acute and chronic protection of brain cells and function in a mouse stroke model. Journal Stroke. 2022; 53(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1161/str.53.suppl_1.WP257
• Baloni P, Arnold M, Buitrago L, Nho K, Moreno H, Huynh K, Brauner B, Louie G, Kueider-Paisley A, Suhre K, Saykin AJ, Ekroos K, Meikle PJ, Hood L, Price ND; Alzheimer’s Disease Metabolomics Consortium; Doraiswamy PM, Funk CC, Hernández AI, Kastenmüller G, Baillie R, Han X, Kaddurah-Daouk R. Multi-Omic analyses characterize the ceramide/sphingomyelin pathway as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease. Commun Biol. 2022 Oct 8;5(1):1074. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-04011-6
• Flores-Obando RE, Freidin MM, Hernández AI, Abrams CK. Activation of the unfolded protein response by Connexin47 mutations associated with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher-like disease. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2022 May;120:103716. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103716. Epub 2022 Mar 8. PMID: 35276347.
• Hsieh C, Tsokas P, Grau-Perales A, Lesburguères E, Bukai J, Khanna K, Chorny J, Chung A, Jou C, Burghardt NS, Denny CA, Flores-Obando RE, Hartley BR, Rodríguez Valencia LM, Hernández AI, Bergold PJ, Cottrell JE, Alarcon JM, Fenton AA, Sacktor TC. Persistent increases of PKMζ in memory-activated neurons trace LTP maintenance during spatial long-term memory storage. Eur J Neurosci. 2021 Oct;54(8):6795-6814. PMID: 33540466
• Laing KK, Simoes S, Baena-Caldas GP, Lao PJ, Kothiya M, Igwe KC, Chesebro AG, Houck AL, Pedraza L, Hernández AI, Li J, Zimmerman ME, Luchsinger JA, Barone FC, Moreno H, Brickman AM; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Cerebrovascular disease promotes tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Commun. 2020 Aug 19;2(2):fcaa132. doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa132. PMID: 33215083; PMCID: PMC7660042.
• Regier M, Liang J, Choi A, Verma K, Libien J, Hernández AI. Evidence for Decreased Nucleolar PARP-1 as an Early Marker of Cognitive Impairment. Neural Plast. 2019 Nov 19;2019:4383258. doi: 10.1155/2019/4383258. PMID: 31827497; PMCID: PMC6885846.
• Allen KD, Regier MJ, Hsieh C, Tsokas P, Barnard M, Phatarpekar S, Wolk J, Sacktor TC, Fenton AA, Hernández AI. Learning-induced ribosomal RNA is required for memory consolidation in mice-Evidence of differentially expressed rRNA variants in learning and memory. PLoS One. 2018 Oct 3;13(10):e0203374. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203374. Erratum in: PLoS One. 2018 Nov 5;13(11):e0207142. PMID: 30281601; PMCID: PMC6169870.
• Arora K, Sequeira JM, Hernández AI, Alarcon JM, Quadros EV.( 2017)  Behavioral alterations are associated with vitamin B12 deficiency in the transcobalamin receptor/CD320 KO mouse. PLoS One. 2017 May 18;12(5):e0177156. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0177156.
• Hsieh C, Tsokas P, Serrano P, Hernández AI, Tian D, Cottrell JE, Shouval HZ, Fenton AA, Sacktor TC. Persistent increased PKMζ in long-term and remote spatial memory. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2017 Feb;138:135-144. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.07.008. Epub 2016 Jul 11. PMID: 27417578; PMCID: PMC5501180.
• Tsokas P, Hsieh C, Yao Y, Lesburguères E, Wallace EGC, Tcherepanov A, Jothianandan D, Hartley BR, Pan L, Rivard B, Farese RV, Sajan MP, Bergold PJ, Hernández AI, Cottrell J, Shouval HZ, Fenton AA, Sacktor TC (2016). Compensation for PKMζ in LTP and spatial long-term memory in mutant mice. Elife. 2016 May 17;5. pii: e14846. doi: 10.7554/eLife.14846.
• Zeng J, Libien J, Shaik F, Wolk J, Hernández AI. Nucleolar PARP-1 Expression Is Decreased in Alzheimer's Disease: Consequences for Epigenetic Regulation of rDNA and Cognition. Neural Plast. 2016;2016:8987928. doi: 10.1155/2016/8987928. Epub 2016 Feb 29. PMID: 27034851; PMCID: PMC4789469.
• Hernández AI, Alarcon J.M., Allen K.D. (2015). “New Ribosomes for new memories?” Commun & Integr Biol. 8, e1017163.
• Allen K.D., Gourov A.V., Harte C., Gao P., Lee C., Sylvain D., Splett J.M., Oxberry W.C., van de Nes P.S., Troy-Regier M.J., Wolk J., Alarcon J.M., Hernández AI (2014). Nucleolar integrity is required for the maintenance of long-term synaptic plasticity. PLoS One 9:e104364.
• Hernández A.I., Oxberry W.C., Crary J.F, Mirra S.S., Sacktor T.C. (2013). Cellular and subcellular localization of PKMζ. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 369:20130140.
• Hernández A.I., Wolk J., Hu J.Y., Liu J., Kurosu T., Schwartz J.H., Schacher S. (2009). Poly-(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 is Necessary for Long-Term Facilitation in Aplysia. J. Neurosci. 29:9553-9562.
• Moreno, H., Yu, E., Pigino, G., Hernández, A.I., Kim, N., Moreira, J., Sugimori, M., Llinas RR (2009). Synaptic transmission block by pre-synaptic injection of oligomeric amyloid beta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106(14):5901-6.
• Kurosu T., Hernández A.I., Wolk J., Liu J.,Schwartz JH. (2009). α/β-tubulin are A kinase Anchor Proteins for Type I PKA in Neurons. Brain Res 1251:53-64.
• Kurosu T, Hernández AI, Schwartz JH. (2007). Serotonin induces selective cleavage of the PKA RI but not RII subunit in Aplysia neurons. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 359 (2007):563–567.
• Crary, J.F., Mirra, S.S., Shao, C.Y., Sheffield, L.G., Mirra, S.S., Hernández, A.I., Sacktor, T.C. (2006). Atypical Protein Kinase C in Neurodegenerative Disease I: PKMζ aggregates with limbic neurofibrillary tangles and AMPA receptors in Alzheimer’s disease. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 265(4):319-326.
• Muslimov I.A., Nimmrich V., Hernández A.I., Tcherepanov A., Sacktor T.C., Tiedge H. (2004). Dendritic transport and localization of protein kinase Mζ mRNA: implications for molecular memory consolidation. J. Biol. Chem. 279(50):52613-22.
• Hernández, A.I., Blace, N., Crary, J.F., Serrano, P.A., Leitges, M., Libien, J.M., Weinstein, G., Tcherapanov, A., and Sacktor, T.C. (2003). PKMζ synthesis from a brain mRNA encoding an independent PKCζ catalytic domain: implications for the molecular mechanism of memory. J. Biol. Chem. 278 (41):40305-40316.
• Polesskaya, O.O., Haroutunian. V., Davis, K.L., Hernández I., Sokolov, B.P. (2003). Novel putative nonprotein-coding RNA gene from 11q14 displays decreased expression in brains of patients with schizophrenia. J. Neurosci. Res. 74(1):111-22.
• Naik, M.U., Benedikz, E., Hernández, I., Libien, J., Hrave, J., Valsamis, M., Dow-Edwards, D., Osman, M., and Sacktor, T.C., (2000). Expression of Protein Kinase Mζ and the Complete Protein Kinase C isoform Family in Rat Brain. J. Comp. Neuro. 426(2):243-258.
• Hernández, I. and Sokolov, B.P. (2000). Abnormalities in 5-HT2A receptor mRNA expression in Frontal Cortex of Chronic Elderly schizophrenics with varying histories of neuroleptic treatment. J. Neurosci. Res. 59:218-225.
• Hernández, I. and Sokolov, B.P. (1997). Abnormal Expression of Serotonin Transporter mRNA in the Frontal and Temporal Cortex in Schizophrenia. Molec. Psych. 2: 57-64.
• Hernández, I., Poblete, A., Amthauer, R., Pessot, R., and Krauskopf, M. (1992). Effect of seasonal acclimatization on estrogen induced vitellogenesis and on the hepatic estrogen receptor in the male carp. Biochem. Int. 28:557-559.