Dennis Drescher, Ph.D.
Dennis Drescher, Ph.D.
Narrative Bio
Dennis G. Drescher is a tenured professor and Director of Molecular Research in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Associate member of the Department of Biochemistry-Molecular Biology at Wayne State University. He obtained B.S., M.M., and Ph.D. (1971, biochemistry) degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and received postgraduate training at Harvard University and Washington University. From 1974 to 1978, he served on the research staff at the National Institutes of Health, where he was the first ever to purify a cochlear enzyme, cochlear carbonic anhydrase.
Dr. Drescher joined the Department of Otolaryngology at Wayne State University in 1978 and has pursued research on the molecular biology and biochemistry of hair-cell neurotransmitter systems. In 1986, he was granted a Javits-Pepper Award from the NIH. He has served as full-time member of the NIH Hearing Research Study Section IFCN6/AUD, the NIH/NIDCD Communication Disorders Review Committee, numerous NIH ad hoc grant-review committees, and journal editorial boards. He is author and co-author of over 140 scientific papers, reviews, chapters, and GenBank submissions, over 190 published abstracts, and has trained over 50 postdoctoral fellows/residents and numerous medical students. His avocations include piano and music composition.
Education:
B.S., Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1963
M.M., Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1964
Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1970
Office Address
Wayne State University - Medicine
Otolaryngology
Lande, 259
540 E. Canfield
Detroit, MI 48201
Position Title
Professor, Departments of Otolaryngology and Biochemistry
Research Educator, full time
Links of Interest
Drescher lab funding renewed for investigation into genetic causes of deafness and muscle disorders
Dr. Drescher awarded grant to study disorders of muscle and inner ear
Jain Foundation awards Dr. Dennis Drescher grant to study disorders of muscle and inner ear
Dr. Drescher awarded $1.6 million grant to combat hearing loss, impairment
2017-2019 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award
2002-2019 Who’s Who in America, 56th – 73rd Editions
2003-2019 Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, 5th – 21st Editions
2004-2019 Who’s Who in the World, 21st – 37th Editions
April 24, 2018 Employee Recognition, Wayne State University
2018-2019 ResearchGate: Drescher Publications Cited as Most Read Research Items in the Department
of Otolaryngology, Wayne State University
Other Information
GRANTS (last 5 years)
Drescher, D.G., PI, Drescher, M.J., Co-PI, “Molecular-Functional Comparison of the Dysferlin Membrane Repair Complex with the Otoferlin Synaptic Complex,” Jain Foundation, 6/1/19-5/31/20 Funded $106,864
Drescher, D.G., PI, Drescher, M.J., Co-PI, “Molecular-Functional Comparison of the Dysferlin Membrane Repair Complex with the Otoferlin Synaptic Complex,” Jain Foundation, 10/1/17-3/31/19 Funded $117,384
Drescher, D.G., PI, Matching Research Funds, WSUSM Vice Dean for Research, 09/18/2018 Funded $10,000
Drescher, D.G., PI, Matching Research Funds, Department of Otolaryngology, 09/5/2018 Funded $9,000
Drescher, D.G., PI, Matching Funds to Support NIH Application, Office of the Vice President for Research, OVPR-144981, 08/16/2017-08/16/2018 Funded $5,000
Drescher, D.G., PI, Drescher, M.J., Co-PI, “Molecular-Functional Comparison of the Dysferlin Membrane Repair Complex with the Otoferlin Synaptic Complex,” Jain Foundation, 2016-2017 Funded $119,734
Drescher, D.G., PI, Drescher, M.J., Co-PI, “Molecular-Functional Comparison of the Dysferlin Membrane Repair Complex with the Otoferlin Synaptic Complex,” Jain Foundation, 2015-2016, $121,764
Drescher, D.G., Research Award, Department of Otolaryngology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 2015 $2,533
Drescher, D.G., PI, Drescher, M.J., Co-PI, R01, “Identification of Acoustico Lateralis Transmitters” National Institutes of Health, 4/1/09-3/31/15 (2015: 33rd year) $1,881,250
Drescher, D.G., PI, Drescher, M.J., Co-PI, “Molecular-Functional Comparison of the Dysferlin Membrane Repair Complex with the Otoferlin Synaptic Complex," Jain Foundation, 2014 $121,764
Drescher, D.G., Research Stimulation Award, Office of the Vice President for Research, Wayne State University, 2014 $36,000
Drescher, D.G., Research Stimulation Award, Research and Graduate Programs, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 2014 $36,000
Drescher, D.G., Research Award, Department of Otolaryngology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 2014 $4,500
Drescher, D.G., Research Stimulation Award, Office of the Vice President for Research, Wayne State University, 2013-2014 $52,000
Post Graduate Training
Training in Patch-Clamp Methodology, Laboratory of Dr. Anthony Ricci, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, 2005.
Course/Symposium, Alon Channels in the Era of the Human Genome Project, at Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2000.
Sabbatical Fellow (Intergovernmental Personnel Award), Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 1990-1991.
Senior Staff Fellow (Biochemistry), Laboratory of Neuro-otolaryngology, National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 1974-1978.
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Central Institute for the Deaf, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri, 1971-1974.
Postgraduate, Biochemistry, Harvard University, 1966.
Areas of Interest
- Molecular biology and genetics of otology
- Structure and function of the porosome in the hair cell
Prefix
Prof.Publications
(Last 5 years)
Drescher DG, Selvakumar D, Drescher MJ. Chapter 1. Analysis of protein interactions by surface plasmon resonance. In: Protein-Protein Interactions in Human Disease, Part A, Vol 110. Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology, Ed. Donev, R, Elsevier, 488 pp, 2018.
Dakshnamurthy S, Drescher MJ, Deckard NA, Ramakrishnan NA, Drescher DG. Dopamine D1A directly interacts with otoferlin synaptic pathway proteins: Phosphorylation underlies a molecular switch from NSF to AP2mu1 interactions. Biochem J 474: 79-104, 2017, Epub 2016. (PMID: 27821621)
Drescher DG, Dakshnamurthy S, Drescher MJ, Ramakrishnan NA. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis of binding interactions of inner-ear proteins. Methods Mol Biol 1427: 165-187, 2016. (PMID: 27259927)
Ramakrishnan NA, Drescher MJ, Morley BJ, Kelley PM, Drescher DG. Calcium regulates molecular interactions of otoferlin with SNARE proteins required for hair cell exocytosis. J Biol Chem 289: 8750-8766, 2014. (PMID: 24478316)
Drescher DG. Identification of the porosome complex in the hair cell. In: Jena, B.P., Taatjes, D.J., NanoCellBiology: Multimodal Imaging in Biology and Medicine, Pan Sanford Publishing Pte. Ltd., 2013.
Selvakumar D, Drescher MJ, Drescher DG. CNGA3 interacts with stereocilia tip-link cadherin 23 +68 or alternatively with myosin viia, two proteins required for hair cell mechanotransduction. J Biol Chem, 2013. doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.443226 (PMID: 23329832)
Selvakumar D, Drescher MJ, Dowdall J, Khan KM, Hatfield JS, Ramakrishnan NA, Drescher DG. CNGA3 is expressed in inner ear hair cells and binds to an intracellular carboxy terminus domain of EMILIN1. Biochem J 443: 463-476, 2012. doi:10.1042/BJ20111255 (PMID: 22248097)
Ramakrishnan NA, Drescher MJ, Drescher DG. The SNARE complex in neuronal and sensory cells. Mol Cell Neurosci 50: 58-69, 2012. doi:10.1016/j.mcn.2012.03.009 (PMID: 22498053; PMCID: PMC3570063)
Ramakrishnan NA, Drescher MJ, Khan KM, Hatfield JS, Drescher DG. HCN1 and HCN2 are expressed in cochlear hair cells: HCN1 can form a ternary complex with protocadherin 15 CD3 and F-actin-binding filamin A or can interact with HCN2. J Biol Chem 287: 37628-37646, 2012. doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.375832 (PMID: 22948144; PMCID: PMC3488041)
BOOK CHAPTER CONTRIBUTIONS
Surface Plasmon Resonance in Biology and Medicine, in Auditory and Vestibular Research Methods, Springer, New York. 2014-2015
Neurotransmitter Systems in the Inner Ear, in Scientific Foundations of Audiology: Current Issues and Future Perspectives from Physics, Biology, Modeling, and Medicine, Plural Publishing, San Diego, CA. 2014-2015
JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUE CONTRIBUTIONS
“Calcium Regulation and Sensing” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, MPI AG Publishers, Basal, Switzerland 2016
"Techniques in Molecular Biology” SM Journal of Biology, SM Scientific Resources Publisher, Dover, Delaware 2016
Joint Appointments
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology