Rand Askalan

The Hospital for Sick Children
Staff Neurologist
Neurology

Research Institute
Associate Scientist
Neurosciences & Mental Health

University of Toronto
Assistant Professor
Paediatrics

Phone: 416-813-6659
Fax: 416-813-6334
e-mail: rand.askalan@sickkids.ca

Brief Biography
Dr. Askalan did her undergraduate degree in Medical Laboratory Technology and her Masters degree in Biochemistry at The American University of Beirut, Lebanon. She subsequently obtained her PhD in Neurosciences at University of Cambridge, England in 1994. She received additional three years of basic research training as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Mike Salter's laboratory at The Hospital for Sick Children before entering the School of Medicine at the University of Toronto to obtain her medical degree in 2001. Dr. Askalan then completed the postgraduate Paediatric Neurology training program at The Hospital for Sick Children in 2006.

Clinical Care Activities
Paediatric stroke

Research Interests
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of ischemic injury in the developing brain and designing novel approaches to neuroprotection in paediatric stroke

Research Activities
Investigation of the pathophysiology of ischemic injury in the developing brain and age-specific neuroprotective strategies. My lab's current area of study is the role of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins following an ischemic injury in the immature brain

Achievements

• Prichard Day Award for Excellence in Research, Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 2005
• PSI Resident Research Award; 2004
• Prichard Day Award for Excellence in Research, Division of Neurology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 2003

Publications

• Askalan R, deVeber G, Ho M, Ma J, Hawkins C: Astrocytic inducible nitric oxide synthase in the ischemic developing human brain. Pediatric Research 2006: 60: pp 687-692.
• Askalan R, Brian J, Mackay M, Otsubo H, McDermott C, Bryson S, Snead C, Roberts W, Weiss S: A prospective preliminary analysis of the development of autism and epilepsy in children with infantile spasms. Journal of Child Neurology 2003: 18: pp 165-170.
• Pelkey KA, Askalan R, Paul S, Kalia LV, Nguyen T-H, Pitcher GM, Salter MW, Lombroso JP: Tyrosine phosphatase STEP is a tonic brake on induction of long term potentiation. Neuron 2002: 34: pp 127-138.
• Askalan R, Laughlin S, Mayank S, MacGregor D, Curtis R, Meaney B, deVeber G: Chicken pox and stroke in childhood: a study of frequency and causation. Stroke: 32: pp 1257-1262.
• Yu X-M, Askalan R, Keill II GJ, Salter MW: NMDA channel regulation by channel-associated protien tyrosine kinase Src. Science 1997: 275: pp 674-678.
• Askalan R, Richardson PJ: Role of histidine residues in the adenosine A2a receptor ligand binding site. Journal of Neurochemistry 1994: 63: pp 1477-1484.
• James S, Xuereb JH, Askalan R, Richardson PJ: Adenosine receptors in post-mortem human brain. British Journal of Pharmacology 1992: 105: pp 238-240.
• Askalan R: Neurology and Neurosurgery. In: The SickKids Handbook of Paediatrics, 10th Edition. (Chang A, Williams BA, Sivarajan BV, Eds), pp 565-583, Elsevier Canada.