Department of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics
The Department of Pediatrics

Faculty Biography

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston is dedicated to improving the health and welfare of all infants, children, and adolescents.


Joseph L. Alcorn, PhD

Back

Education:

1982: B.S. in Microbiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

1985: M.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas

1988: Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas

Clinical and Research Interests:

  1. Transcriptional and Post-transcriptional Regulation of Pulmonary Surfactant Proteins
  2. Interactions of Surfactant Proteins with Environmental Insults (RSV, particulate matter)
  3. Genetic Influences on Pulmonary type II Epithelial Cell Biology and Surfactant Function
  4. Cellular Biology of Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein Mutants

Publications (selected):

  • Merritt, TM, R Bick, BJ Pointdexter, JL Alcorn and JT Hecht. Unique Matrix Structure in the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum Cisternae of Pseudoachondroplasia Chondrocytes. Am J Pathology. 170:293-300, 2007.
  • Merritt, TM, JL Alcorn, R Haynes and JT Hecht. Expression of Mutant Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein in Human Chondrocytes Induces the Pseudoachondroplasia Phenotype. J Orthopaedic Res.. 24:700-707, 2006.
  • Alcorn, JL, Stark, JM, Chiappetta, CL, Jenkins, G and Colasurdo, GN. Effects of RSV infection on Pulmonary Surfactant Protein (SP-A) in Cultured Human Type II Cells: Contrasting Consequences on SP-A mRNA and Protein. Am J Physiol: Lung Cell Mol Physiol, 289:L1113-1122, 2005.
  • Phokela, SS, Peleg, S, Moya, FR and Alcorn, JL. Regulation of human pulmonary surfactant protein gene expression by 1 ,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Accepted for publication pending revision in the Am J Physiol: Lung Cell Mol Physiol., 289:L617-626, 2005.
  • Romero EJ, Moya FR, Tuvim MJ,and Alcorn JL. Interaction of an Artificial Surfactant in Human Pulmonary Epithelial Cells. Ped. Pulmonology 39:167-177, 2005.
  • Stark, JM, Khan AM, Chiapetta CL, Xue H, Alcorn JL, and Colasurdo GN. Immune and functional role of nitric oxide in a mouse model of RSV infection. J Infect. Dis. 191:387-395, 2005.
  • Ramin SM, Vidaeff AC, Gilstrap LC 3rd, Bishop KD, Jenkins GN, Alcorn JL. The effects of dexamethasone and betamethasone on surfactant protein-B messenger RNA expression in human type II pneumocytes and human lung adenocarcinoma cells. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 190:952-959, 2004.
  • Vidaeff AC, Ramin SM, Gilstrap LC 3rd, and Alcorn JL. In vitro quantification of dexamethasone-induced surfactant protein B expression in human lung cells. J Maternal-Fetal Neonatal Med. 15:155-159, 2004.
  • Alcorn, JL, Islam KN, Young PP, Mendelson CR. Glucocorticoid Inhibition of Surfactant Protein A (SP-A) Gene Expression in Lung Type II Cells is Mediated via the TTF-1 Binding Element. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 286:L767-776, 2004.
  • Mustafa SB, DiGeronimo RJ, Petershack JA, Alcorn JL, and SR Seidner. Postnatal Glucocorticoids Induce -ENaC Formation and Regulate Glucocorticoid receptors in the Preterm Rabbit Lung. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 286:L73-80, 2004.
  • Vidaeff AC, Ramin SM, Gilstrap LC 3rd, Bishop KD, Jenkins GN, and Alcorn JL. Characterization of corticosteroid redosing in an in vitro cell line model. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 191:1403-1408, 2004.
  • Shlykov SG, Yang M, Alcorn JL and Sanborn BM. Capacitative cation entry in human myometrial cells and augmentation by hTrpC3 overexpression. Biol Reprod. 69:647-655, 2003.
  • Gao E, Wang Y, Alcorn JL, and Mendelson CR. Transcription factor USF2 is developmentally regulated in fetal lung and acts together with USF1 to induce surfactant protein-A (SP-A) gene expression. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 284:L1027-1036, 2003.
  • Razeghi P, Young ME, Alcorn JL, Moravec CS, Frazier OH, and Taegtmeyer H. The failing heart reverts to a fetal gene profile by repressing metabolic genes. Circulation. 104:2923-2931. 2001.
  • Alcorn JL, Hammer RE, Graves KR, Smith ME, Maika SD, Michael LF, Gao E, Wang Y, and Mendelson CR. Analysis of genomic regions involved in regulation of the rabbit surfactant protein A gene in transgenic mice. Am J Physiol: Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 277:L349-361. 1999.
  • Mendelson CR, Gao E, Li J, Young PP, Michael LF, Alcorn JL. Regulation of expression of surfactant protein-A. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. 1408:132-149, 1998.
  • Kamat A, Alcorn JL, Kunczt C, Mendelson CR. Characterization of the regulatory regions of the human aromatase (P450arom) gene involved in placenta-specific expression. Molecular Endocrinology. 12:1764-1777, 1998.
  • Gao E, Wang Y, Alcorn JL, Mendelson CR. The basic helix-loop-helix-zipper transcription factor USF1 regulates expression of the surfactant protein-A gene. J Biol Chem. 272:23398-23406, 1997.
  • Alcorn JL, Smith ME, Smith JF, Margraf LR, Mendelson CR. Primary cell culture of human type II pneumonocytes: maintenance of a differentiated phenotype and transfection with recombinant adenoviruses. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 17:672-682, 1997.

 

Faculty Biography

Dr. Joseph L. Alcorn, Ph.D.
  • Joseph L. Alcorn, PhD
    Associate Professor
  • Department of Pediatrics
    Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
  • Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Allergy-Immunology Medicine
  • University of Texas-Houston Medical School
    6431 Fannin Street, MSB 3.222
    Houston, Texas 77030
  • phone: (713) 500-5641
    fax: (713) 500-5794
    e-mail: Joseph.L.Alcorn@ uth.tmc.edu
  • Staff Assistant:
  • Roxanne Lopez (713) 500-5733
Click for my PubMed publications