Brian J. Balin, PhD
Dr. Brian J. Balin has been Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology and Forensic Medicine since 1999, having first arrived at PCOM in the fall of 1998. He was named Director of Basic Science Research in July 2005 for the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging at PCOM.
Dr. Balin has served on NIH grant review panels, advisory and thesis committees for PhD and MS students, and many institutional committees. He is on the editorial board for the Association of Clinical Scientists and is a member of numerous professional societies including the Society for Neuroscience, AAAS, American Society for Cell Biology, and American Society for Microbiology. He has been a reviewer for major journals including J Neuroscience, Lancet, Brain Research, Experimental Brain Research, J Neurochemistry, and J Gerontology. In addition, Dr. Balin was Co-Chair of a PCOM-sponsored Continuing Medical Education program (CME) entitled "Managing Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Complexities" (May, 2006), and Scientific Co-Chair of a CME program entitled "Chronic Disorders of Aging in the 21st Century: New Insights and Approaches" at the AOA Research Conference (October, 2007).
Prior to coming to PCOM, Dr. Balin was an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences (Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University School of Medicine) in Philadelphia, PA. He began his independent laboratory research originally at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1990 as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This followed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratories of Drs. Lee and Trojanowski at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine from 1987-1990. Dr. Balin received his PhD in Experimental Pathology in 1987 in the department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD.
Research
Dr. Balin is an internationally recognized expert in the field of Alzheimer's Disease research. His research interests include: Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae as a trigger in the neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease, effects of infection and inflammation on the blood brain barrier in cerebrovascular disease, modification of neuronal cytoskeletal proteins through phosphorylation and the action of transglutaminase, and pathogenesis of chronic disease associated with the aging process.
Dr. Balin has received numerous National Institutes of Health and private foundation grant awards for his research. He is highly published in peer-reviewed journals, and has written a number of chapters and reviews on the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, including recent reviews on the "Pathogen Hypothesis" of this disease (see live discussion section, www.alzforum.org). In addition, he has presented his work at major national and international scientific meetings including a number of international and world congresses on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Email: brianba@pcom.edu
Awards
NIH/NIAID (R01; coPI); 06/01/99 - 05/31/04
Chlamydia pneumoniae: a pathogen in Alzheimer's Disease?
NIH (R15; coPI); 05/01/00-6/30/02
Immunosenescence and Chlamydia Pneumoniae
Adolf and Rose Levis Foundation (PI); 1/01/2003-1/01/2008
The role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer's disease
IIRG - Alzheimer's Association (PI); 09/1/04-08/31/07
Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of mice triggers Alzheimer-like pathology
Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Endowment (PI; Director of Basic Science Research); 12/8/06
Endowment for the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging
Patents
Filed: 1998; 1. U.S. Patent Application Entitled "Treatment and Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease" Balin, Abrams, Hudson, and Whittum-Hudson - awarded 2007.
Filed: 2000; 2. U.S. Patent Application Entitled "SAF is a C. pneumoniae-derived factor and is present in patients with CTCL" Abrams and Balin - awarded 2007.
Publications [click here for a full list of Dr. Balin's publications]
Balin, B.J., Gerard, H.C., Arking, E.J., Appelt, D.M., Branigan, P.J., Abrams, J.T., Whittum-Hudson, J.A., and Hudson, A.P.: Identification and localization of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the Alzheimer's brain. Med. Micro. & Immunol. 187:23-42, 1998.
Arking, E.J., Appelt, D.M., Abrams, J.T., Kolby, S.J., Hudson, A.P., and Balin, B.J.: Ultrastructural Analysis of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the Alzheimer's brain. Pathogenesis 1(3):210-211, 1999.
MacIntyre, A., Hammond, C.J., Little, C.S., Appelt, D.M., Balin, B.J.: Chlamydia pneumoniae infection alters the junctional complex proteins of human brain microvascular endothelial cells. FEMS Microbiology Letters 217: 167-172, 2002.
MacIntyre, A., Abramov, R., Hammond, C.J., Hudson, A.P., Arking, E.J., Little, C.S., Appelt, D.M., Balin, B.J.: Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of human brain endothelial cells and monocytes promotes the transmigration of monocytes through an invitro blood brain barrier. J. Neurosci. Res. 71: 740-750, 2003.
Little, C.S., Hammond, C.J., MacIntyre, A., Balin, B.J., Appelt, D.M.: Chlamydia pneumoniae induces Alzheimer-like amyloid plaques in brains of BALB/c mice. Neurobiol. Aging. 25: 419-429, 2004.
R.F. Itzhaki, M.A. Wozniak, D.M. Appelt, B.J. Balin. Infiltration of the brain by pathogens causes Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol. Aging. 25:619-627, 2004.
Little, C.S., Bowe, A., Lin, R., Litsky, J., Balin, B.J., and Fresa-Dillon, K.L.: Age alterations in extent and severity of experimental intranasal infection by Chlamydophila pneumoniae in BALB/c mice. Infect. and Immun. 73:1-12, 2005.
Gerard, H.C., Dreses-Werringloer, U., Wildt, K.S., Oszust, C., Balin, B.J., Frey II, W.H., Bordayo, E.Z., Whittum-Hudson, J.A., and Hudson, A.P.: Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae in the Alzheimer's brain. FEMS Immuno. and Med. Micro. 48:355-366, 2006.
Balin, B., Hammond, C., Taylor, A., Tuitt, K., Abraham, J., Appelt, D. Immuno-detection of Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae in the Alzheimer brain. In: Alzheimer's disease: New Advances, Medimond Internatl Proceedings, 301-5, 2006.
Balin, B.J., Little, C.S., Hammond, C. J., Appelt, D. M., Whittum-Hudson, J.A., Gerard, H.C., Hudson, A.P. Chlamydophila pneumoniae and the etiology of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. J. Alz. Dis. 13:371-380, 2008.