Ira S. Cohen

FACULTY

It is with great sadness that we inform you that our friend and colleague, Ira S. Cohen, MD, PhD, and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, passed away suddenly at his home on Saturday, June 15.

After receiving his MD and PhD in Physiology & Biophysics with Dr. William van der Kloot from New York University, Ira conducted postdoctoral research on the electrophysiology of the heart in the laboratory of Dennis Noble at Oxford University. Ira began his career at Stony Brook University 48 years ago, embarking on a path that led to seminal contributions to our understanding of pacemakers and ion channels in the heart. In 2016, Nature Biotechnology recognized him as one of the top 20 translational scientists in the world, and he was inducted into the National Academy of Inventors a year later. Ira continuously embraced new technologies and employed them in creative ways to solve important biomedical questions.

Some of the many highlights of Ira's groundbreaking research include: pivotal contributions to our understanding of the major repolarizing current in the heart, IKs; identification of the KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 potassium channel subunits as molecular correlates of the M-Channel; pioneering the design of cell-based vectors that can be implanted in the heart to serve as biological pacemakers; mechanistic understanding of ion channel diseases, including drug-induced Long QT Syndrome; and using mesenchymal stem cells as a delivery system for siRNAs to demonstrate for the first time that small oligonucleotides could pass through gap junction channels.

What set Ira apart from other basic scientists who have also made significant contributions to understanding cardiovascular disease was his remarkable ability to effectively translate mechanistic observations from basic studies to therapeutic applications. In addition to being an exceptionally talented scientist, Ira was a wonderful human being who positively impacted the lives of all who knew him. He will be greatly missed, and our thoughts are with Ira’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.

Ira Cohen Ira S. Cohen
Distinguished Professor

M.D., Ph.D. New York University, 1974

Basic Science Tower, T-6, Room 150
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8661

Phone: (631) 444-3043
Email: Ira.Cohen@stonybrook.edu

Research

 My laboratory research focuses on the physiology and pharmacology of isolated cardiac myocytes from various regions (SA node, atrium, ventricle, Purkinje system) of the mammalian heart. At present we are focusing on several membrane currents and transporters: (a) the Na/K pump current, (b) the pacemaker current, (c) the delayed rectifier, (d) the inward rectifier, and (e) the transient outward current. We are interested in the effects of the autonomic transmitters and the changes that occur during growth and development.

A second area of investigation is the relation between the structure and function of ion channels. We are presently studying two K+ currents, the delayed rectifier iK, and the transient outward current iTO from canine heart. These studies involve extraction of mRNA and expression of this message in Xenopus oocytes. From these studies we hope to understand more about the determinants of K channel function.

Recent Publications

 187.  Potapova, I.A., Cohen, I.S. and Doronin, S.V. (2009).  Apoptotic endothelial cells demonstrate increased adhesiveness for human mesenchymal stem cells.  J. Cell. Physiol. 219, 23-30.

188.  Lu, Z., Jiang, Y.-P., Wang, W., Xu, X.-H., Mathias, R.T., Entcheva, E., Ballou, L.M., Cohen, I.S. and Lin, R.Z. (2009).  Loss of cardiac phosphoinositide 3-kinase p110α results in contractile dysfunction.  Circulation 120, 318-325.

189.  Valiunas, V., Kanaporis, G., Valiuniene, L., Gordon, C., Wang, H., Li, L., Robinson, R.B., Rosen, M.R., Cohen, I.S. and Brink, P.R. (2009).  Coupling an HCN2 expressing cell to a myocyte creates a two cell pacing unit.  J. Physiol. 587.21, 5211-5226.

190.  Wang, W., Gao, J., Entcheva, E., Cohen, I.S., Gordon, C. and Mathias, R.T. (2010).  A transmural gradient in the cardiac Na/K pump generates a transmural gradient in Na/Ca exchange.  J. Memb. Biol.  233, 51-62.

191.  Potapova, I.A., Cohen, I.S. and Doronin, S.V. (2010).  Von willebrand factor increases endothelial cell adhesiveness for human mesenchymal stem cells by activating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.  Stem Cell Research & Therapy 1(5), 35.

192. Coronel R, Lau DH, Sosunov EA, Janse MJ, Danilo P, Anyukhovsky EP, Wilms-Schopman FJG, Opthof T,Shlapakova IN, Ozgen N, Prestia K, Kryukova Y, Cohen IS, Robinson RB, Rosen MR. (2010) Cardiac expression of skeletal muscle Na channels increases longitudinal conduction velocity in the canine 1-week myocardial infarction. Heart Rhythm:7:1104-1110

193. Shlapakova IS, Nearing BD, Lau DH, Boink GJJ, Danilo P, Kryukova Y, Robinson RB, Cohen IS, Rosen MR, Verrier RL. (2010) Biological pacemakers in canines exhibit positive chronotropic response to emotional arousal.Heart Rhythm 7, 1835-1840.

194.  Brink, P.R., Robinson, R.B., Rosen, M.R. and Cohen, I.S. (2010).  In vivo cellular delivery of siRNA.  IDrugs 13, 383-387.

195.  Guyette, J.P., Cohen, I.S. and Gaudette, G.R. (2010).  Strategies for regeneration of heart muscle.  Crit. Rev. Eukaryot Gene Expr. 20, 35-50.

196.  Anyukhovsky, E.P., Sosunuv, E.A., Kryukova, Y.N., Prestia, K., Ozgen, N., Rivaud, M., Cohen, I.S., Robinson, R.B. and Rosen, M.R. (2011).  Expression of skeletal muscle sodium channel (Nav1.4) or connexin32 prevents reperfusion arrhythmias in murine heart.  Cardiovasc. Res. 89, 41-50.

197.  Jia, Z., Valiunas, V., Lu, Z., Bien, H., Liu, H., Wang, H.Z., Rosati, B., Brink, P.R., Cohen, I.S. and Entcheva, E. (2011).  Stimulating cardiac muscle by light: cardiac optogenetics by cell delivery.  Circ. Arrhythm. Electrophysiol. 4(5), 753-760.

198. Lu, Z., Ballou, L.M., Jiang, Y.P., Cohen, I.S. and Lin, R.Z. (2011).  Restoration of defective L-type Ca2+ current in cardiac myocytes of type 2 diabetic db/db mice by Akt and PKC-1.  J. Cardiovasc. Pharmacol. 58(4), 439-445.

199.  Wu, C.Y., Jia, Z., Wang, W. Ballou, L.M., Jiang, Y.P., Chen, B., Mathias, R.T., Cohen, I.S., Song, L.S., Entcheva, E. and Lin, R.Z. (2011).  PI3Ks maintain the structural integrity of T-tubules in cardiac myocytes.  PloS One 6(9), e24404.

200. Zhang, H., Lau, D.H., Shlapakova, I.N., Zhao, X., Danilo, P., Robinson, R.B., Cohen, I.S., Qu, D., Xu, Z. and Rosen, M.R. (2011).  Implantation of sinoatrial node cells into canine right ventricle: Biological pacing appears limited by the substrate.  Cell Transplant.  Mar. 8 (Epub ahead of print).

201.  Brink, P.R., Valiunas, V., Gordon, C., Rosen, M.R. and Cohen, I.S. (2011).  Can gap junctions deliver?  Biochim. Biophys. Acta.  Oct. 2 (Epub ahead of print).

202.  Rosen, M.R., Robinson, R.B., Brink, P.R. and Cohen, I.S. (2011).  The road to biological pacing.  Nat. Rev. Cardiol. Aug. 16 (Epub ahead of print).