Richard C Grondin, PhD
Connect
859-323-8925rcgron0@uky.edu
Positions
- Professor, Regular Title Series
- Director of Graduate Studies
- Lewis Honors Faculty
College Unit(s)
Biography and Education
Education
Dr. Richard C. Grondin, Ph.D., graduated in December 1997 from Laval University College of Medicine in Quebec City (Canada) with a doctorate degree in Neurobiology. He then completed a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship in Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Kentucky from 1998 - 2000. Dr. Grondin currently holds the academic position of Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
Research
The Grondin laboratory is currently funded by NIH-NINDS and the Cure Huntington's Disease Initiative (CHDI) to conduct long-term tolerability studies in non-human primates administered adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors carrying short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA) designed to lower wildtype huntingtin expression in the brain. This work will inform ongoing and future clinical trials seeking to use non-allele specific huntingtin lowering approaches in Huntington's disease patients.
Selected Publications
Grondin R, Littrell OM, Ai Y, Huettl P, Pomerleau P, Quintero JE, Gash DM, Zhang Z, Gerhardt GA. Comparative studies of continuous versus pulsatile delivery of a novel mammalian cell-derived variant of GDNF (GDNFv) into the rhesus macaque striatum. Medical Research Archives (2024) Feb 27; 12(2) [online]. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i2.5074
Brady ML, Grondin R, Zhang Z, Pomerleau P, Powell P, Huettl P, Wilson M, Stice J, Gerhardt GA, Abramov V, Raghavan R. In-vitro and in-vivo performance studies of a porous infusion catheter designed for intraparenchymal delivery of therapeutic agents of varying size. J. Neurosci. Methods (2022) Aug 1;378:109643. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109643 . PMID: 35691412
Littrell OM, Stoeger C, Maier H, Fuchs H, Hrabě de Angelis M, Cassis LA, Gerhardt GA, Grondin R*, Gailus-Durner V*. Costs of implementing quality in research practice. Handb Exp Pharmacol. (2020) 257:399-423. doi: 10.1007/164_2019_294 . PMID: 31541322 *Co-senior author
Grondin R, Littrell OM, Zhang Z, Ai Y, Huettl P, Pomerleau F, Quintero JE, Andersen AH, Stenslik MJ, Bradley LH, Lemmon J, O’Neill MJ, Gash DM, Gerhardt GA. GDNF revisited: A novel mammalian cell-derived variant form of GDNF increases dopamine turnover and improves brain biodistribution. Neuropharmacology. (2019) Mar 15;147:28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.014 . PMID: 29857941
Kaemmerer WF, Grondin R. The effects of huntingtin-lowering: What do we know so far? Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. (2019) Mar 8;9:3-17. doi: 10.2147/DNND.S163808 . PMID: 30881191
Grondin, Ai, Hardy, Butt, Nelson, Lemmon, Bumcrot, Gash, Gerhardt, Zhang. Continuous intranigral infusion does not cause observable behavioral deficits or marked pathology in rhesus macaques. J. Neurosurg. 126:1253-1262, (2017). PMID: 27231974
Grondin, Ge, Chen, Sutherland, Zhang, Gash, Stiles, Stewart, Sah, Kaemmerer. Onset time and durability of huntingtin suppression in the rhesus putamen after direct infusion of an anti-huntingtin siRNA. Mol. Ther. Nucleic Acids (2015) 4:e245. doi:10.1038/mtna.2015.20. PMID: 26125484
Pandya, Grondin, Yonutas, Haghnazar, Gash, Zhang, and Sullivan. Decreased mitochondrial bioenergetics and calcium buffering capacity in the basal ganglia correlates with motor deficits in a non-human primate model of aging.Neurobiol. Aging 36:1903-1913, (2015). PMID: 25726361
Smith, Grondin, LeMaster, Martin, Gold, Ain. Reversible cognitive, motor and driving impairments in severe hypothyroidism. Thyroid 25(1):28-36, (2015). PMID: 25381990
Grondin, Kaytor, Ai, Nelson, Burright, Thakker, Heisel, Weatherspoon, Blum, Zhang, Kaemmerer. Six-month partial suppression of huntingtin is well tolerated in the adult rhesus striatum. Brain 135:1197-1209, (2012). PMID: 22252996
Blalock*, Grondin*, Chen, Thibault O., Thibault V., Pandya, Dowling, Zhang, Sullivan, Porter, Landfield. Age-related gene expression in hippocampus proper compared to dentate gyrus is selectively associated with metabolic syndrome variables in rhesus monkeys.J. Neurosci. 30(17):6058-6071, (2010). PMID: 20427664. *Co-first author
Grondin, Zhang, Ai, Slevin, Young, Gash, Gerhardt. Direct delivery of GDNF in the non-human primate and human parkinsonian brain: Success and road blocks. In: CNS regeneration: Basic science and clinical advances, Academic Press, (Kordower and Tuszynski, Eds), Second Edition; pp. 223-244 (2008).
Grondin, Zhang, Ai, Ding, Walton, Surgener, Gerhardt, Gash. Intraputamenal infusion of exogenous neurturin protein restores motor and dopaminergic function in the globus pallidus of MPTP-lesioned rhesus monkeys. Cell Transplant. 17(4):373-381, (2008). PMID: 18522240.
Walton, Scheib, Hall, Zhang, Grondin. Motor memory preservation in aged monkeys mirrors that of aged humans on a similar task. Neurobiol. Aging 29(10):1556-62 (2008). PMID: 17428582.
Cass*, Grondin*, Andersen, Zhang, Hardy, Hussey-Andersen, Rayens, Gerhardt, Gash. Iron accumulation in the striatum predicts age-related decline in motor function in rhesus monkeys. Neurobiol. Aging 28(2):258-71, (2007). PMID: 16442671. * Co-first author
Walton, Branham, Gash, Grondin. Automated video analysis of age-related motor deficits in monkeys using EthoVision. Neurobiol. Aging 27(10):1477-83, (2006). PMID: 16198447.
Grondin, Zhang, Ai, Gash, Gerhardt. Intracranial delivery of proteins and peptides as a therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Prog. Drug Res. 61:101-123, (2003). PMID: 14674610.
Grondin, Cass, Zhang, Stanford, Gerhardt, Gash. GDNF Increases Stimulus-Evoked Dopamine Release and Motor Speed in Aged Rhesus Monkeys. J. Neurosci. 23(5):1974-1980, (2003). PMID: 12629203
Grondin, Zhang, Cass, Yi, Maswood, Andersen, Elsberry, Klein, Gerhardt, Gash. Chronic, controlled GDNF infusion promotes structural and functional recovery in advanced parkinsonian monkeys. Brain 125:2191-2201, (2002). PMID: 12244077.
Grondin, Zhang, Elsberry, Gerhardt, Gash. Chronic intracerebral delivery of trophic factors via a programmable pump as a treatment for parkinsonism. Methods Mol. Med. 62:257-267, (2001). PMID: 21318781
Grondin, Zhang, Gerhardt, Gash. Dopaminergic therapy improves upper limb motor performance in aged rhesus monkeys. Ann. Neurol. 48(2):250-253, (2000). PMID: 10939577.