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Richard C Grondin, PhD

Connect

859-323-8925
rcgron0@uky.edu
MN210, Medical Science Bldg.

Positions

  • Professor, Regular Title Series
  • Lewis Honors Faculty

College Unit(s)

Biography and Education

Education

Dr. Richard C. Grondin, Ph.D., graduated in December 1997 from Laval University College of Medicine in Quebec City (Canada) with a doctorate degree in Neurobiology. He then completed a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky from 1998 - 2000. Dr. Grondin currently holds the academic position of Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

Research

The Grondin laboratory is currently funded by NIH-NINDS and the Cure Huntington's Disease Initiative (CHDI) to conduct long-term tolerability studies in non-human primates administered  adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors carrying short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA) designed to lower wildtype huntingtin expression in the brain. This work will inform ongoing and future clinical trials seeking to use non-allele specific huntingtin lowering approaches in Huntington's disease patients.

Selected Publications

Brady ML, Grondin R, Zhang Z, Pomerleau P, Powell P, Huettl P, Wilson M, Stice J, Gerhardt GA, Abramov V, Raghavan R. In-vitro and in-vivo performance studies of a porous infusion catheter designed for intraparenchymal delivery of therapeutic agents of varying size. J. Neurosci. Methods (2022) Aug 1;378:109643. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109643 . PMID: 35691412

Littrell OM, Stoeger C, Maier H, Fuchs H, Hrabě de Angelis M, Cassis LA, Gerhardt GA, Grondin R*, Gailus-Durner V*. Costs of implementing quality in research practice. Handb Exp Pharmacol. (2020) 257:399-423. doi: 10.1007/164_2019_294 . PMID: 31541322  *Co-senior author

Grondin R, Littrell OM, Zhang Z, Ai Y, Huettl P, Pomerleau F, Quintero JE, Andersen AH, Stenslik MJ, Bradley LH, Lemmon J, O’Neill MJ, Gash DM, Gerhardt GA. GDNF revisited: A novel mammalian cell-derived variant form of GDNF increases dopamine turnover and improves brain biodistribution. Neuropharmacology. (2019) Mar 15;147:28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.014 . PMID: 29857941

Kaemmerer WF, Grondin R. The effects of huntingtin-lowering: What do we know so far? Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. (2019) Mar 8;9:3-17. doi: 10.2147/DNND.S163808 . PMID: 30881191

Grondin, Ai, Hardy, Butt, Nelson, Lemmon, Bumcrot, Gash, Gerhardt, Zhang. Continuous intranigral infusion does not cause observable behavioral deficits or marked pathology in rhesus macaques. J. Neurosurg. 126:1253-1262, (2017).  PMID: 27231974

Grondin, Ge, Chen, Sutherland, Zhang, Gash, Stiles, Stewart, Sah, Kaemmerer. Onset time and durability of huntingtin suppression in the rhesus putamen after direct infusion of an anti-huntingtin siRNA. Mol. Ther. Nucleic Acids (2015) 4:e245. doi:10.1038/mtna.2015.20. PMID: 26125484

Pandya, Grondin, Yonutas, Haghnazar, Gash, Zhang, and Sullivan. Decreased mitochondrial bioenergetics and calcium buffering capacity in the basal ganglia correlates with motor deficits in a non-human primate model of aging.Neurobiol. Aging 36:1903-1913, (2015). PMID: 25726361

Smith, Grondin, LeMaster, Martin, Gold, Ain. Reversible cognitive, motor and driving impairments in severe hypothyroidism. Thyroid 25(1):28-36, (2015). PMID: 25381990

Grondin, Kaytor, Ai, Nelson, Burright, Thakker, Heisel, Weatherspoon, Blum, Zhang, Kaemmerer. Six-month partial suppression of huntingtin is well tolerated in the adult rhesus striatum. Brain 135:1197-1209, (2012). PMID: 22252996

Blalock*, Grondin*, Chen, Thibault O., Thibault V., Pandya, Dowling, Zhang, Sullivan, Porter, Landfield. Age-related gene expression in hippocampus proper compared to dentate gyrus is selectively associated with metabolic syndrome variables in rhesus monkeys.J. Neurosci. 30(17):6058-6071, (2010). PMID: 20427664. *Co-first author

Grondin, Zhang, Ai, Slevin, Young, Gash, Gerhardt. Direct delivery of GDNF in the non-human primate and human parkinsonian brain: Success and road blocks. In: CNS regeneration: Basic science and clinical advances, Academic Press, (Kordower and Tuszynski, Eds), Second Edition; pp. 223-244 (2008).

Grondin, Zhang, Ai, Ding, Walton, Surgener, Gerhardt, Gash. Intraputamenal infusion of exogenous neurturin protein restores motor and dopaminergic function in the globus pallidus of MPTP-lesioned rhesus monkeys. Cell Transplant. 17(4):373-381, (2008). PMID: 18522240.

Walton, Scheib, Hall, Zhang, Grondin. Motor memory preservation in aged monkeys mirrors that of aged humans on a similar task. Neurobiol. Aging 29(10):1556-62 (2008). PMID: 17428582.

Cass*, Grondin*, Andersen, Zhang, Hardy, Hussey-Andersen, Rayens, Gerhardt, Gash. Iron accumulation in the striatum predicts age-related decline in motor function in rhesus monkeys. Neurobiol. Aging 28(2):258-71, (2007). PMID: 16442671. * Co-first author

Walton, Branham, Gash, Grondin. Automated video analysis of age-related motor deficits in monkeys using EthoVision. Neurobiol. Aging 27(10):1477-83, (2006). PMID: 16198447.

Grondin, Zhang, Ai, Gash, Gerhardt. Intracranial delivery of proteins and peptides as a therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Prog. Drug Res. 61:101-123, (2003). PMID: 14674610.

Grondin, Cass, Zhang, Stanford, Gerhardt, Gash. GDNF Increases Stimulus-Evoked Dopamine Release and Motor Speed in Aged Rhesus Monkeys. J. Neurosci. 23(5):1974-1980, (2003). PMID: 12629203 

Grondin, Zhang, Cass, Yi, Maswood, Andersen, Elsberry, Klein, Gerhardt, Gash. Chronic, controlled GDNF infusion promotes structural and functional recovery in advanced parkinsonian monkeys. Brain 125:2191-2201, (2002). PMID: 12244077.

Grondin, Zhang, Elsberry, Gerhardt, Gash. Chronic intracerebral delivery of trophic factors via a programmable pump as a treatment for parkinsonism. Methods Mol. Med. 62:257-267, (2001). PMID: 21318781

Grondin, Zhang, Gerhardt, Gash. Dopaminergic therapy improves upper limb motor performance in aged rhesus monkeys.  Ann. Neurol. 48(2):250-253, (2000). PMID: 10939577.