Adam Kassan, PhD

Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Contact Information

Biography

Dr. Kassan graduated from the Lebanese University in Lebanon with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and worked for several years as a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) in Lebanon. He is currently a licensed CLS in the state of California. Subsequently, he went on to earn his Master’s and PhD degree in Cell Biology and Biomedicine at the University of Barcelona, Spain. His research during these graduate years focused on lipid involvement in liver regeneration. Following this, Dr. Kassan moved to the University of California, San Diego to work in research as a postdoctoral fellow. The main focus of his research was the cellular mechanisms involved in ischemic heart disease. He also led research projects studying neuroscience in the field of mental health and neuronal regeneration.

Dr. Kassan’s involvement in many projects has given him extensive experience in research. He was awarded a grant by the National Institute of Health (NIH) for his works. Dr. Kassan has contributed to the scientific community through publications of many papers and presentations of his research at many national and international meetings, and has mentored many undergraduate students interested in research. He is currently serving as a reviewer for peer-reviewed scientific journals such as The British Journal of Pharmacology.

Publications

Munkhsaikhan U, Kwon YI, Sahyoun AM, Galán M, Gonzalez AA, Ait-Aissa K, Abidi AH, Kassan A, Kassan M. (2023). The Beneficial Effect of Lomitapide on the Cardiovascular System in LDLr-/- Mice with Obesity. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jun 16;12(6):1287. doi: 10.3390/antiox12061287.

Kassan M, Kwon Y, Munkhsaikhan U, Sahyoun AM, Ishrat T, Galán M, Gonzalez AA, Abidi AH, Kassan A, Ait-Aissa K. (2023). Protective Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids against Ang- II-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Brain Endothelial Cells: A Potential Role of Heme Oxygenase 2. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jan 10;12(1):160. doi: 10.3390/antiox12010160.

Munkhsaikhan U, Kwon Y, Sahyoun AM, Ait-Aissa K, Kassan A, Kassan M. (2022). The microsomal triglyceride transfer protein inhibitor lomitapide improves vascular function in mice with obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2022 Apr;30(4):893-901. doi: 10.1002/oby.23389.

Kassan A, Ait-Aissa K, Kassan M. (2022). Gut Microbiota Regulates the Sympathetic Nerve Activity and Peripheral Serotonin Through Hypothalamic MicroRNA-204 in Order to Increase the Browning of White Adipose Tissue in Obesity. Cureus. 2022 Feb 4;14(2):e21913. doi: 10.7759/cureus.21913

Kassan A, Ait-Aissa K, Kassan M. (2021). Hypothalamic miR-204 Induces Alteration of Heart Electrophysiology and Neurogenic Hypertension by Regulating the Sympathetic Nerve Activity: Potential Role of Microbiota. Cureus. 2021 Oct 14;13(10):e18783. doi: 10.7759/cureus.18783.

Gabani M, Castañeda D, Nguyen QM, Choi SK, Chen C, Mapara A, Kassan A, Gonzalez AA, Khataei T, Ait-Aissa K, Kassan M. (2021). Association of Cardiotoxicity With Doxorubicin and Trastuzumab: A Double-Edged Sword in Chemotherapy. Cureus. 2021 Sep 22;13(9):e18194. doi: 10.7759/cureus.18194.

Ait-Aissa K, Nguyen QM, Gabani M, Kassan A, Kumar S, Choi SK, Gonzalez AA, Khataei T, Sahyoun AM, Chen C, Kassan M. (2020). MicroRNAs and obesity-induced endothelial dysfunction: key paradigms in molecular therapy. Cardiovasc Diabetol. doi: 10.1186/s12933-020-01107-3

Castañeda D, Gabani M, Choi SK, Nguyen QM, Chen C, Mapara A, Kassan A, Gonzalez AA, Ait-Aissa K, Kassan M. (2019). Targeting Autophagy in Obesity-Associated Heart Disease. Obesity, 27(7):1050-1058. doi: 10.1002/oby.22455

Chen, C., Kassan, A., Castañeda, D., Gabani, M., Choi, S. K., & Kassan, M. (2019). Metformin prevents vascular damage in hypertension through the AMPK/ER stress pathway. Hypertension Research, 42(7), 960-969. doi: 10.1038/s41440-019-0212-z

Godoy, J. C., Niesman, I. R., Busija, A. R., Kassan, A., Schilling, J. M., Schwarz, A., Alvarez, E. A., Dalton, N. D., Drummond, J. C., Roth, D. M., Kararigas, G., Patel, H. H., & Zemljic-Harpf, A. (2019). Atorvastatin, but not pravastatin, inhibits cardiac akt/mTOR signaling and disturbs mitochondrial ultrastructure in cardiac myocytes. The FASEB Journal, 33(1), 1209-1225. doi:10.1096/fj.201800876RCastañeda, D., Gabani, M., Choi, S.K., Nguyen, Q.M., Chen, C.,

Mapara, A., Kassan, A., Gonzalez, A.A., Ait-Aissa, K., Kassan, M. (2017) Targeting autophagy in obesity-associated heart disease.Obesity, 27(7), 1050-1058. doi: 10.1002/oby.22455

Parikh, J., Zemljic-Harpf, A., Fu, J., Giamouridis, D., Hsieh, T., Kassan, A., Murthy, K. S., Bhargava, V., Patel, H. H., & Rajasekaran, M. R.  (2017). Altered penile caveolin expression in diabetes: Potential role in erectile dysfunction. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 14(10), 1177-1186. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.08.006

Parikh J, Zemljic-Harpf A, Fu J, Giamouridis D, Hsieh TC, Kassan A, Murthy KS, Bhargava V, Patel HH, Rajasekaran MR. (2017). Altered Penile Caveolin Expression in Diabetes: Potential Role in Erectile Dysfunction. J Sex Med. 2017 Oct;14(10):1177-1186. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.08.006.

Schilling JM, Kassan A, Mandyam C, Pearn ML, Voong A, Grogman GC, Risbrough VB, IR. Niesman, Patel HH, Patel PM, Head BP. (2017). Inhibition of P75 neurotrophin receptor does not rescue cognitive impairment in adulthood after isoflurane exposure in neonatal mice. British Journal of Anaesthesia. https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/aew299

Kassan M, Vikram A, Kim YR, Li Q, Kassan A, Patel HH, Kumar S, Gabani M, Liu J, Jacobs JS, Irani K. (2017). Sirtuin1 protects endothelial Cav1 expression and preserves endothelial function via suppressing miR-204 and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 10;7:46123. doi: 10.1038/srep46123

Kassan A, Egawa J, Zhang Z, Almenar-Queralt A, Nguyen Q, Lajevardi Y, Kim K, Posadas E, Jeste DV, Roth DM, Patel PM, Patel HH, Head BP. (2016). Caveolin-1 regulation of Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 as a potential therapeutic target for schizophrenia. J Neurophysiol. 2017 Jan 1;117(1):436-444. doi: 10.1152/jn.00481.2016. Epub 2016 Nov 2.

Kassan A, Pham U, Nguyen Q, Reichelt ME, Cho E, Patel PM, Roth DM, Head BP, Patel HH. (2016). Caveolin-3 plays a critical role in autophagy after ischemia reperfusion. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2016 Dec 1;311(6):C854-C865. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00147.2016. Epub 2016 Oct 5.

Ray S, Kassan A, Busija AR, Rangamani P, Patel HH. The plasma membrane as a capacitor for energy and metabolism. (2015). Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2016 Feb 1;310(3):C181-92. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00087.2015.

Zúñiga-Hertz JP, Rebelato E, Kassan A, Abdel Rahman M. Khalifa, Ali SS, Patel HH, Abdulkader F. (2015). Distinct pathways of cholesterol biosynthesis impact on insulin secretion. J Endocrinol. 2015 Jan;224(1):75-84. doi: 10.1530/JOE-14-0348.

Kassan A, Herms A, Fernández-Vidal A, Bosch M, Schieber NL, Reddy BJ, Fajardo A, Gelabert-Baldrich M, Tebar F, Enrich C, Gross SP, Parton RG, Pol A. (2013). Acyl-CoA synthetase 3 promotes lipid droplet biogenesis in ER microdomains. J Cell Biol. 2013 Dec 23;203(6):985-1001. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201305142.

Anand P, Cermelli S, Li Z, Kassan A, Bosch M, Sigua R, Huang L, Ouellette AJ, Pol A, Welte MA, Gross SPA. (2012). Novel role for lipid droplets in the organismal antibacterial response. Elife. 2012 Nov 13;1:e00003. doi: 10.7554/eLife.00003.

Alejandro Fernández-Rojo M, Restall C, Ferguson C, Martel N, Martin S, Bosch M, Kassan A, Leong GM, Martin SD, McGee SL, Muscat GE, Anderson RL, Enrich C, Pol A, Parton RG. (2012). Caveolin-1 orchestrates the balance between glucose and lipid-dependent energy metabolism: implications for liver regeneration. Hepatology. 2012 May;55(5):1574-84. doi: 10.1002/hep.24810.

Presentations

Kassan, A. (2018). Metformin prevents vascular damage in hypertension through AMPK/ER stress pathway. [Poster presentation]. SGH International Medicine Forum, Shanghai, China.

Kassan, A. (2016, May 6-10). Altered caveolin expression in diabetic penis: Possible role in erectile dysfunction. [Poster presentation]. American Urological Association, San Diego, California, USA.

Kassan, A. (2016, April 2-6). Caveolin-3 plays a critical role in autophagy after ischemia reperfusion [Poster presentation] Experimental Biology 2016, San Diego, California, USA.

Kassan, A. (2016, April 2-6). Caveolin-1 regulation of DISC1 as a potential therapeutic target for schizophrenia. [Poster presentation]. Experimental Biology, San Diego, California, USA.

Kassan, A. (2015, March 28-April 1). Novel roles for catestatin in cardiac metabolism and physiology. [Poster presentation] Experimental Biology, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Kassan, A. (2014, April 26-30). Long-term atorvastatin treatment inhibited pro-survival signaling, reduced mitochondrial function and altered ultrastructural integrity in cardiac myocytes. [Poster presentation]. Experimental Biology, San Diego, California, USA.

Kassan, A. (2014, April 26-30). Non-targeted Cav-1 as a novel therapy for motor cortex and hippocampal traumatic brain injury. [Poster presentation].Experimental Biology, San Diego, California, USA.