Nina Irwin (nina.irwin@childrens.harvard.edu)

Education
1974 B.A., Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
1980 Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

Professional Positions
1971-1974 Laboratory instructor in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Microbiology at Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT.
1975-1980 Graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. James R. Walker at the University of Texas. Genetic mapping and DNA cloning of genes involved in DNA synthesis and cell division.
1980-1983 Postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Mark Ptashne in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Harvard University. Regulation of gene expression by lambda repressor.
1983-1986 Research Associate in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Harvard University. Mechanism of gene activation by the catabolite activator protein of E. coli.
1980-1988 Consultant for the gene expression group at Genetics Institute, Cambridge, MA. Increasing production of proteins synthesized in cells.
1982-1989 Tutor in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Harvard University. Taught molecular biology to biochemistry majors.
1985-1989 Associate author on Sambrook, J., Fritch, E.F., and Maniatis, T. "Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual" published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
1990-1991 Research fellow, Department of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital and Harvard Med. School.
1991- Instructor, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School

Awards and Honors
1974 High Honors in Biology and College Scholar at Middlebury College
1975 National Institutes of Health Genetics Training Grant recipient
1976-1979 National Science Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
1980 Outstanding Dissertation Award for the School of Sciences at the University of Texas
1981-1984 National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship
1983-1989 Member of the Board of Tutors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Harvard University
1993-1994 Medical Foundation Fellowship

Relevant Publications

• Fletcher, G., Irwin, C.A., Henson, J.M., Fillingam, C., Malone, M., and Walker, J.R. (1978) Identification of the Escherichia coli cell division gene sep and the organization of the cell envelope genes in the sep-mur-ftsA-envA cluster as determined with specialized transducing lambda bacteriophages. J. Bacteriol. 133: 91-100.
• Henson, J.M., Chu, H., Irwin, C.A., and Walker, J.R. (1979) Isolation and characterization of dnaX and dnaY temperature-sensitive mutants of Escherichia coli. Genetics 92: 1041-1059.
• Irwin, C.A., Fletcher, G., Sills, C.L., and Walker, J.R. (1979) Expression of the Escherichia coli gene sep cloned in a lambda Charon phage. Science 206: 220-222.
• Hocheschild, A. Irwin, N., and Ptashne, M. (1983) Repressor structure and the mechanism of positive control. Cell 32: 319-325.
• Simon, L.D., Irwin, N., Randolph, B. and Binkowski, G. (1983) Stabilization of proteins by a T4 gene cloned in Escherichia coli. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 80: 2059-2062.
• Irwin, N. and Ptashne, M. (1987) Mutants of the catabolite activator protein of Escherichia coli that are specifically deficient in the gene-activation function. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 84: 8315-8319.
• Sambrook, J., Fritch, E.F., and Maniatis, T., (Irwin, N. associate) (1989) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
• Perrone-Bizzozero NI, Neve RL, Irwin N, Lewis, S, Fischer I and Benowitz, LI (1991) Post-transcriptional regulation of GAP-43 mRNA levels during neuronal differentiation and nerve regeneration. Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 2: 402-409.
• Woolf CJ, Reynolds ML, Chong MS, Emson P, Irwin N and Benowitz LI (1992) Denervation of the motor endplate results in the rapid expression by terminal Schwann cells of the growth-associated protein GAP-43. J. Neurosci. 12: 3999-4010.
• Chong MS, Reynolds ML, Irwin N, Coggeshall RE, Emson P, Benowitz LI and Woolf CJ (1994) GAP-43 expression in primary sensory neurons following central axotomy. J. Neurosci., 14: 4375-4384.
• Schwalb JM, Boulis NM, Gu M-f, Winickoff J, Jackson PS, Irwin N and Benowitz LI (1995) Two factors secreted by the goldfish optic nerve induce retinal ganglion cells to regenerate axons in culture. J. Neurosci., 15: 5514-5525.
• Schwalb JM, Gu M-f, Stuermer CAO, Bastmeyer M, Hu G-f, Boulis NM, Irwin N and Benowitz LI (1996) Optic nerve glia secrete a low molecular weight factor that stimulates retinal ganglion cells to regenerate axons in goldfish. Neuroscience, 72: 901-910.
• Chao S, Benowitz LI, Krainc D and Irwin N (1996) Use of a two-hybrid system to identify the molecular interactions of GAP-43. Mol. Brain Res., 40: 195-202.
• Irwin N, Baekelandt VL, Goritchenko L and Benowitz LI (1997) Isolation and characterization of two proteins that bind to the 3' untranslated region of GAP-43 mRNA. Nucl. Acids Res. 25: 1281-1288.
• Irwin N and Madsen JR (1997) Molecular biology of axonal outgrowth. Growth cones and GAP-43. Pediatric Neurosurgery 27: 113-120.
• Benowitz LI, Jing Y, Tabibiazar, R, Jo SA, Petraush B, Stuermer CAO, Rosenberg P and Irwin N (1998) Axon outgrowth is regulated by an intracellular purine-sensitive mechanism in retinal ganglion cells. J. Biol. Chem. 273: 29626-29634.
• Madsen JR, MacDonald P, Irwin N, Goldberg DE, Yao G-L, Meira KF, Rimm IJ, Stieg PE and Benowitz LI (1998) Tacrolimus (FK506) increases neuronal expression of GAP-43 and improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats. Exp. Neurol., 154:673-683.
• Benowitz L, Leon S, Tabibiazar R, Jing Y, Irwin N (1999) Axon regeneration in the primary visual pathway of goldfish and rat. In: N. Ingoglia, M. Murray, eds., Nerve Regeneration. M. Dekker and Co.
• Benowitz LI, Goldberg D, Madsen JR, Soni D and Irwin N (1999) Inosine stimulates extensive axon collateral growth in the rat corticospinal tract after injury. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA. 96:13486-13490.
• Leon S, Yin Y, Nguyen J, Irwin N and Benowitz LI. (2000) Lens injury stimulates axon regeneration in the mature rat optic nerve. J. Neurosci 20: 4615-4626.
• Petrausch B, Tabibiazar R, Roser T, Jing Y, Goldman D, Stuermer CAO, Irwin N, and Benowitz LI.(2000) A purine-sensitive pathway regulates multiple genes involved in axon regeneration in goldfish retinal ganglion cells. J. Neurosci 20: 8031-8041.
• Benowitz L, Leon S, Tabibiazar R, Jing Y, Irwin N (2001) Axon regeneration in the primary visual pathway of goldfish and rat. In: N. Ingoglia, M. Murray, eds., Nerve Regeneration. M. Dekker and Co. pp. 45-66.
• Sambrook J, Russell D. (Irwin N, Janssen K, associate authors) (2001) Molecular Cloning III: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
• Chen W, Aoki C, Mahadomrongkul V, Gruber CE, Wang GJ, Blitzblau R, Irwin N, Rosenberg PA (2002) Expression of a variant form of the glutamate transporter GLT1 in neuronal cultures and in neurons and astrocytes in the rat brain. J Neurosci. 22: 2142-2152.
• Benowitz LI, Goldberg DE, Irwin N (2002) A purine sensitive mechanism regulates the molecular program for axon growth. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience 19: 1-9.
• Irwin N, Chao S, Goritchenko L, Horiuchi A, Greengard P Nairn AC and Benowitz LI (2002) Nerve growth factor controls GAP-43 mRNA stability via the phosphoprotein ARPP-19. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 99:12427-12431.
• Benowitz LI, Goldberg DE, Irwin N (2002) Inosine stimulates axon growth in vitro and in the adult CNS. In: L. McKerracher, G. Doucet, S. Rossignol, eds. Spinal Cord Trauma: Regeneration, Neural Repair and Functional Recovery. Prog. Brain Res. 137, Ch. 28.
• Yin Y, Cui Q, Li Y, Irwin N, Fischer D, Harvey AR and Benowitz LI. (2003) Macrophage-derived factors stimulate optic nerve regeneration. J. Neurosci. 23: 2284-2293.
• Li Y, Irwin N, Yin Y, Lanser M and Benowitz LI. (2003) Axon regeneration in goldfish and rat retinal ganglion cells: differential responsiveness to carbohydrates and cyclic AMP. J. Neurosci. 23: 7830-7838.