Erik B. Malarkey
Current Address
2412 2nd Ave N #32
Birmingham, AL 35203
(909) 896-3028
[email protected]
Laboratory
MCLM688 1918 University Blvd.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham AL 35294
(205) 934-0994
EDUCATION
Doctorate of Philosophy, Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, June 2007
University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA
Dissertation: Spatio-temporal characteristics of exocytosis in astrocytes
Advisor: Vladimir Parpura
Bachelor of Science, Biology, Minor: Physiology, June 2002
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA
Advisor: Sepehr Eskandari
Associate of Science, Physics, June 1997
San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA
HONORS/AFFILIATIONS
Member of Society for Neuroscience, 2007 – present
Member of American Society for Cell Biology, 2006 – present
Awarded UCR Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department travel grant, 2006
Member of Biophysical Society, 2005 – present
Awarded Gordon Research Conference travel grant, 2005
Awarded UC Riverside Dean’s Fellowship, 2002
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Calcium regulation in glia
Mechanisms and processes of exocytosis
Nanotechnology in biological systems
Primary cilia biology
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Research
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham,
AL, Advisor: Bradley Yoder, November 2009 – Present
 Investigating signaling pathways that operate through primary cilia in neurons
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Advisor:
Sandra Bajjalieh, November 2008 – October 2009
 Studied the role of synaptic vesicle protein 2 (SV2) using whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology
on autaptic neuronal cultures.
 Examined how SV2 might be important for endocytosis by studying the dynamics of various
pHluorin constructs in neurons.
 Used immunolabeling and confocal microscopy to determine the localization of SV2 in cells and
determine if SV2 is important for regulating endocytosis.
 Prepared microisland cultures for autaptic neurons and viral preparations to express mutant forms of
SV2.
Erik B. Malarkey
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham,
AL, Advisor: Vladimir Parpura, July 2007 – October 2008
 Further characterized the spatial and temporal characteristics of exocytosis in astrocytes using total
internal reflection microscopy
 Kept records and coordinated with vendors for ordering supplies, materials, service contacts
 Purchased, set-up, maintained and repaired computers and a departmental sub-network used for data
acquisition and analysis of experiments
 Provided guidance to graduate students on experimental design, data analysis and equipment usage
 Maintained and repaired laboratory equipment (microscopes, biosafety hoods, incubators, PCR
machines, gel imaging equipment, etc.)
Pre-Doctoral Fellow/Ph.D. Research, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, UC Riverside,
Riverside, CA, Advisor: Vladimir Parpura, February 2003 – July 2007
 Characterized the type and spatial and temporal characteristics of exocytosis in cultured astrocytes
using total internal fluorescence microscopy, high-speed video capture, cell transfection of
fluorescent probes and proteins involved in exocytosis, and detailed computer analysis of fusion
dynamics (time course, decay, spread) and distributions (near-neighbor, Ripley’s-K, density maps)
using a variety of software packages and self written programs
 Studied the role of the canonical transient receptor potential type 1 protein in store-operated calcium
entry in cultured astrocytes and its effect on glutamate release using fluorescence microscopy of
calcium indicator dyes and an enzyme linked glutamate detection system, immunocytochemistry, RTPCR, gel electrophoresis and Western blotting.
 Studied how carbon nanotubes affect the growth and morphology of cultured neurons and affect
endocytosis using fluorescence microscopy of membrane recycling dye
 Designed a mold to create micro-patterned substrates for culturing solitary astrocytes, used atomic
force microscopy to verify dimensions of pattern
 Dissected brain tissue from neonatal rats, started and maintained neuronal and purified astrocytic cell
cultures
 Supervised research projects of 3 undergraduate students
Laboratory Technician, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA, Advisor: Sepehr Eskandari
September 2001 - August 2002
 Performed surgery to harvest oocytes from Xenopus laevius frogs
 Microinjected oocytes with RNA
 Assisted research characterizing γ-amino butyric acid transporters using two-electrode voltage clamp
electrophysiology
Teaching
Teaching Assistant, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA
Spring 2005 - CBNS 106, Introduction to neuroscience
 Taught four laboratory sections explaining anatomy of the brain
 Advised undergraduate neuroscience students during office hours
 Delivered two guest lectures in lecture section
 Prepared, administered and graded tests
Teaching Assistant, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA
Winter 2004 - CBNS 101, Introduction to cell biology
 Led four discussion sections and lectured on techniques for cell biology
 Advised undergraduate biology students during office hours
 Graded quizzes and assignments
Erik B. Malarkey
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Guest Teaching Assistant, of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, UC Riverside, Riverside, CA
Spring 2003 - NRSC 201, Methods in neuroscience
 Demonstrated Ca2+ imaging using epifluorescence microscopy
Committees/Organizations
Student member, Cell Molecular and Developmental Biology program (CMDB) executive committee,
UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, 2006 - 2007
Elected to CMDB Graduate Student Association governing committee,
UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, 2006 - 2007
Webmaster, CMDB website,
UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, 2003 - 2005
Student member, CMDB new student recruitment committee,
UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, 2004
Student member, organizing committee 4th annual CMDB research symposium,
UC Riverside, Riverside, CA, 2003
Invited Talks
Center for Nanoscience Innovation for Defense Program Review, “Chemically Functionalized Carbon
Nanotubes Modulate Neuronal Function”, Santa Monica, CA, June 26, 2006
Center for Glial-Neuronal Interaction, “Spatio-temporal characteristics of exocytosis in astrocytes”
Riverside, CA, May 26, 2006
Neuroscience Graduate Program Neurognosh, “Spatio-temporal characteristics of exocytosis in
astrocytes” Riverside, CA, March 20, 2006
Gordon Research Conference, Glial Biology: Functional Interactions Among Glia & Neurons, Hot
Topics session. “The role of TRPC1 in internal Ca2+ regulation in astrocytes”, Ventura, CA, March 16,
2005
PUBLICATIONS
Articles (peer-reviewed journals)
Hua X, Malarkey EB, Sunjara V, Rosenwald SE, Li WH, Parpura V. Ca2+-dependent glutamate release
involves two classes of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores in astrocytes. J Neurosci Res. 2004 Apr
1;76(1):86-97.
Ni Y, Hu H, Malarkey EB, Zhao B, Montana V, Haddon RC, Parpura V. Chemically functionalized water
soluble single-walled carbon nanotubes modulate neurite outgrowth. J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2005
Oct;5(10):1707-12.
Bekyarova E, Ni Y, Malarkey EB, Montana V, McWilliams JL, Haddon RC, Parpura V. Applications of
Carbon Nanotubes in Biotechnology and Biomedicine. Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, Vol.1, 3–
17, 2005. Review.
Montana V, Malarkey EB, Verderio C, Matteoli M, Parpura V. Vesicular transmitter release from
astrocytes. Glia. 2006 Nov 15;54(7):700-15. Review.
Erik B. Malarkey
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Malarkey, E.B., Parpura, V. Applications of carbon nanotubes in neurobiology. Neurodegenerative Dis.
2007;4(4) Review.
Ni Y, Malarkey EB, Parpura V. Vesicular release of glutamate mediates bidirectional signaling between
astrocytes and neurons. J Neurochem. 2007 Nov;103(4):1273-84. Epub 2007 Aug 28. Review.
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. Mechanisms of glutamate release from astrocytes. Neurochemistry
International. 2008 Jan;52(1-2):142-54. Epub 2007 Jun 26. Review.
Malarkey EB, Ni Y, Parpura V. Ca2+ entry through TRPC1 containing channels contributes to Ca2+
responses and glutamate release from astrocytes. Glia. 2008 Jun;56(8):821-35.
Lee W, Malarkey EB, Reyes RC, Parpura V. Micropit: A new culturing system to characterize solitary
astrocytes and small networks of these glial cells. Front Neuroengineering. 2008;1:2. Epub 2008 Dec 12.
Malarkey EB, Reyes RC, Zhao B, Haddon RC, Parpura V. Water Soluble Single-Walled Carbon
Nanotubes Inhibit Stimulated Endocytosis in Neurons. Nano Lett. 2008 Oct;8(10):3538-42. Epub 2008
Aug 30.
Malarkey EB, Fisher K, Bekyarova E, Haddon RC, Parpura V. Conductive single-walled carbon nanotube
substrates modulate neuronal growth. Nano Lett. 2009 Jan;9(1):264-8
Osborne KD, Malarkey EB, Irving AJ, Parpura V. Dynamic imaging of cannabinoid receptor 1 trafficking
in cultured astrocytes. ASN Neuro. 2009 Dec 8;1(5).
Croyle MJ, Lehman JM, O’Connor AK, Wong SY, Malarkey EB, Iribarne D, Dowdle WE, Schoeb TR,
Verney ZM, Athar M, Michaud EJ, Reiter JF, Yoder BK. Role of epidermal primary cilia in the
homeostasis of skin and hair follicles. Development. 2011 (in press)
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. Temporal Characteristics of Vesicular Fusion from Astrocytes. (in submission)
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. Spatial Characteristics of Vesicular Fusion from Astrocytes. (in preparation)
Nowack AL, Malarkey EB, Bleckert A, Hill J. Bajjalieh SM. Levetiracetam reverses synaptic defects
produced by SV2 overexpression. (in submission)
Other publications
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. “Glutamate release from astrocytes, impact on neuronal function” in
Häussinger, D.; Kirchels, G.; Schless, F. (Eds.) Hepatic Encephalopathy and Nitrogen Metabolism 2006,
XV, 616 p., Hardcover
Malarkey, EB. (2007). Spatio-temporal characteristics of exocytosis in astrocytes. PhD Thesis.
University of California, Riverside.
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. “Mechanisms of transmitter release from astrocytes” in Parpura, V.; Haydon,
P.G. (Eds.) Astrocytes in (patho)physiology of the nervous system 2008, Springer, Boston, MA , (in
press)
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. “Carbon Nanotubes in Neuroscience” in Czernicki, Z. et al. (eds.), Brain
Edema XIV, Acta Neurochirurgica Supplementum, Vol. 106
Erik B. Malarkey
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Abstracts
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. The role of TRPC1 in internal Ca2+ regulation in astrocytes
Biophysical Journal 88 (1): 84A-85A Part 2 Suppl. S Jan 2005.
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. Monitoring of exocytosis in astrocytes using synapto-pHluorins and total
internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Journal of Neurochemistry 96: 60-60 Suppl. 1 Mar 2006.
Malarkey EB, Parpura V. Spatio-temporal characteristics of exocytosis in astrocytes using synaptophluorins and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Mol. Biol. Cell 17 (Suppl), L79
(Wednesday). (Late Abstracts, The American Society for Cell Biology 46th Annual Meeting)