Nicole Calakos | Scholars@Duke

Nicole Calakos
Lincoln Financial Group Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Lincoln Financial Group Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology, Neurology, Movement Disorders, Neurology 2020
Professor in Neurology, Neurology, Movement Disorders, Neurology 2018
Professor in Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2021
Professor of Cell Biology, Cell Biology, Basic Science Departments 2021
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers 2008
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, Duke Science & Society, Initiatives 2017

Contact Information

311 Bryan Res Drive, Durham, NC 27710
Duke Box 2900, Durham, NC 27710
nicole.calakos@duke.edu (919) 684-4152
Lab website

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Resident in Neurology, Medicine, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine 1997 - 2000
- Intern in Medicine, Medicine, University of California San Francisco, School of Medicine 1996 - 1997
- M.D., Stanford University 1996
- Ph.D., Stanford University 1995
Previous Appointments & Affiliations
- Associate Professor of Neurology, Neurology, Movement Disorders, Neurology 2015 - 2018
- Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2016 - 2018
- Associate Professor of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2013 - 2015
- Associate Professor of Neurology, Neurology, Movement Disorders, Neurology 2013 - 2015
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Neurology, Clinical Science Departments 2005 - 2013
- Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2005 - 2013
Recognition
In the News
- OCT 26, 2021
  
  Duke-Led Teams Awarded $18 Million to Investigate Parkinson’s Disease
- MAY 7, 2021 Duke Research Blog
  
  Learning Something Surprising About 'SuperLearners'
- NOV 24, 2020
  
  Six From Duke Elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
- APR 14, 2020
  
  Duke Awards 29 University Distinguished Professorships
- MAR 31, 2020 Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
  
  Brain Science Seed Grants Lay Foundation for Large Competitive Grants
- OCT 23, 2019 Duke Research Blog
  
  Valuable Learning from Research Mishaps: The Life of an Undergraduate Student Researcher
- SEP 6, 2017
  
  One Powerful Cell Makes or Breaks Your Habits
- AUG 1, 2016 Fox News, Health.com
  
  New study suggests brain glitch may cause OCD
- JUL 29, 2016 Psych Central
  
  Commentary: OCD and exciting research
- JAN 22, 2016 CBC News
  
  Breaking bad habits relies on 'stop' and 'go' brain signals
- JAN 22, 2016 The Daily Mail
  
  Repetitive behaviors rewire the brain and cause lasting damage
- JAN 21, 2016
  
  Why Are Habits So Hard to Break?
- JUN 26, 2015
  
  Allen Song Named Interim Director of Brain Institute
- JAN 6, 2015
  
  Study Pinpoints Autism-Linked Protein for Sculpting Brain Connections
- DEC 17, 2013
  
  Neuroscientists Win McKnight Endowment Award
Expertise
Subject Headings
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Abed Zadeh, Aghil, Brandon D. Turner, Nicole Calakos, and Nicolas Brunel. “Non-monotonic effects of GABAergic synaptic inputs on neuronal firing.” Plos Comput Biol 18, no. 6 (June 2022): e1010226. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010226.
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  - Shroff, Kunal, Zachary F. Caffall, Erik J. Soderblom, Greg Waitt, Tricia Ho, and Nicole Calakos. “Dataset on the mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling of mouse embryonic fibroblasts from a wild type and DYT-TOR1A mouse model of dystonia, basally and during stress.” Data Brief 39 (December 2021): 107609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2021.107609.
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  - Shroff, Kunal, Zachary F. Caffall, and Nicole Calakos. “DYT-TOR1A subcellular proteomics reveals selective vulnerability of the nuclear proteome to cell stress.” Neurobiol Dis 158 (October 2021): 105464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105464.
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  - Caffall, Zachary F., Bradley J. Wilkes, Ricardo Hernández-Martinez, Joseph E. Rittiner, Jennifer T. Fox, Kanny K. Wan, Miranda K. Shipman, et al. “The HIV protease inhibitor, ritonavir, corrects diverse brain phenotypes across development in mouse model of DYT-TOR1A dystonia.” Sci Transl Med 13, no. 607 (August 18, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abd3904.
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  - Helseth, Ashley R., Ricardo Hernandez-Martinez, Victoria L. Hall, Matthew L. Oliver, Brandon D. Turner, Zachary F. Caffall, Joseph E. Rittiner, et al. “Cholinergic neurons constitutively engage the ISR for dopamine modulation and skill learning in mice.” Science 372, no. 6540 (April 23, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abe1931.
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  - Rahimpour, Shervin, Nicole Calakos, Dennis A. Turner, and Kyle T. Mitchell. “Treatment of diaphragmatic dystonia with pallidal deep brain stimulation.” Bmj Case Rep 14, no. 3 (March 25, 2021). https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2020-240510.
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  - Isaacson, Stuart H., Elizabeth Peckham, Winona Tse, Olga Waln, Christopher Way, Melita T. Petrossian, Nabila Dahodwala, et al. “Prospective Home-use Study on Non-invasive Neuromodulation Therapy for Essential Tremor.” Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 10 (August 14, 2020): 29. https://doi.org/10.5334/tohm.59.
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  - Sanders, Laurie H., and Nicole Calakos. “Dopamine Metabolism May Have Unexpected Benefits for Mitochondrial Energy Production.” Mov Disord 35, no. 4 (April 2020): 562. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.28005.
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  - Lungu, Codrin, Laurie Ozelius, David Standaert, Mark Hallett, Beth-Anne Sieber, Christine Swanson-Fisher, Brian D. Berman, et al. “Defining research priorities in dystonia.” Neurology 94, no. 12 (March 24, 2020): 526–37. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000009140.
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  - O’Hare, Justin, Nicole Calakos, and Henry H. Yin. “Recent Insights into Corticostriatal Circuit Mechanisms underlying Habits: Invited review for Current Opinions in Behavioral Sciences.” Curr Opin Behav Sci 20 (April 2018): 40–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.10.001.
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  - Wang, Xiaoting, David A. Gallegos, Vladimir M. Pogorelov, Justin K. O’Hare, Nicole Calakos, William C. Wetsel, and Anne E. West. “Parvalbumin Interneurons of the Mouse Nucleus Accumbens are Required For Amphetamine-Induced Locomotor Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference.” Neuropsychopharmacology 43, no. 5 (April 2018): 953–63. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.178.
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  - O’Hare, Justin K., Haofang Li, Namsoo Kim, Erin Gaidis, Kristen Ade, Jeff Beck, Henry Yin, and Nicole Calakos. “Striatal fast-spiking interneurons selectively modulate circuit output and are required for habitual behavior.” Elife 6 (September 5, 2017). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26231.
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  - Hernandez-Martinez, Ricardo, and Nicole Calakos. “Seq-ing the Circuit Logic of the Basal Ganglia.” Trends Neurosci 40, no. 6 (June 2017): 325–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2017.04.006.
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  - Rittiner, Joseph E., Zachary F. Caffall, Ricardo Hernández-Martinez, Sydney M. Sanderson, James L. Pearson, Kaylin K. Tsukayama, Anna Y. Liu, et al. “Functional Genomic Analyses of Mendelian and Sporadic Disease Identify Impaired eIF2α Signaling as a Generalizable Mechanism for Dystonia.” Neuron 92, no. 6 (December 21, 2016): 1238–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.012.
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  - Ade, Kristen K., Yehong Wan, Harold C. Hamann, Justin K. O’Hare, Weirui Guo, Anna Quian, Sunil Kumar, et al. “Increased Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Signaling Underlies Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder-like Behavioral and Striatal Circuit Abnormalities in Mice.” Biol Psychiatry 80, no. 7 (October 1, 2016): 522–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.04.023.
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  - Bhagat, Srishti L., Sunny Qiu, Zachary F. Caffall, Yehong Wan, Yuanji Pan, Ramona M. Rodriguiz, William C. Wetsel, Alexandra Badea, Ute Hochgeschwender, and Nicole Calakos. “Mouse model of rare TOR1A variant found in sporadic focal dystonia impairs domains affected in DYT1 dystonia patients and animal models.” Neurobiol Dis 93 (September 2016): 137–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2016.05.003.
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  - O’Hare, Justin K., Kristen K. Ade, Tatyana Sukharnikova, Stephen D. Van Hooser, Mark L. Palmeri, Henry H. Yin, and Nicole Calakos. “Pathway-Specific Striatal Substrates for Habitual Behavior.” Neuron 89, no. 3 (February 3, 2016): 472–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.12.032.
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  - Rossi, Mark A., Nicole Calakos, and Henry H. Yin. “Spotlight on movement disorders: What optogenetics has to offer.” Mov Disord 30, no. 5 (April 15, 2015): 624–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.26184.
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  - Bohórquez, Diego V., Rafiq A. Shahid, Alan Erdmann, Alex M. Kreger, Yu Wang, Nicole Calakos, Fan Wang, and Rodger A. Liddle. “Neuroepithelial circuit formed by innervation of sensory enteroendocrine cells.” J Clin Invest 125, no. 2 (February 2015): 782–86. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI78361.
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  - Risher, W Christopher, Sagar Patel, Il Hwan Kim, Akiyoshi Uezu, Srishti Bhagat, Daniel K. Wilton, Louis-Jan Pilaz, et al. “Astrocytes refine cortical connectivity at dendritic spines.” Elife 3 (December 17, 2014). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04047.
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  - Wan, Yehong, Kristen K. Ade, Zachary Caffall, M. Ilcim Ozlu, Cagla Eroglu, Guoping Feng, and Nicole Calakos. “Circuit-selective striatal synaptic dysfunction in the Sapap3 knockout mouse model of obsessive-compulsive disorder.” Biol Psychiatry 75, no. 8 (April 15, 2014): 623–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.01.008.
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  - Deng, Jie V., Yehong Wan, Xiaoting Wang, Sonia Cohen, William C. Wetsel, Michael E. Greenberg, Paul J. Kenny, Nicole Calakos, and Anne E. West. “MeCP2 phosphorylation limits psychostimulant-induced behavioral and neuronal plasticity.” J Neurosci 34, no. 13 (March 26, 2014): 4519–27. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2821-13.2014.
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  - Yang, Ying, and Nicole Calakos. “Presynaptic long-term plasticity.” Front Synaptic Neurosci 5 (October 17, 2013): 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsyn.2013.00008.
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  - Farrell, Martilias S., Ying Pei, Yehong Wan, Prem N. Yadav, Tanya L. Daigle, Daniel J. Urban, Hyeong-Min Lee, et al. “A Gαs DREADD mouse for selective modulation of cAMP production in striatopallidal neurons.” Neuropsychopharmacology 38, no. 5 (April 2013): 854–62. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2012.251.
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  - Dufour, Suzie, Guillaume Lavertu, Sophie Dufour-Beauséjour, Alexandre Juneau-Fecteau, Nicole Calakos, Martin Deschênes, Réal Vallée, and Yves De Koninck. “A multimodal micro-optrode combining field and single unit recording, multispectral detection and photolabeling capabilities.” Plos One 8, no. 2 (2013): e57703. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057703.
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  - Wan, Yehong, Guoping Feng, and Nicole Calakos. “Sapap3 deletion causes mGluR5-dependent silencing of AMPAR synapses.” J Neurosci 31, no. 46 (November 16, 2011): 16685–91. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2533-11.2011.
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  - Yang, Ying, and Nicole Calakos. “Munc13-1 is required for presynaptic long-term potentiation.” J Neurosci 31, no. 33 (August 17, 2011): 12053–57. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2276-11.2011.
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  - Chen, Meng, Yehong Wan, Kristen Ade, Jonathan Ting, Guoping Feng, and Nicole Calakos. “Sapap3 deletion anomalously activates short-term endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity.” J Neurosci 31, no. 26 (June 29, 2011): 9563–73. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1701-11.2011.
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  - Ade, Kristen K., Yehong Wan, Meng Chen, Bernd Gloss, and Nicole Calakos. “An Improved BAC Transgenic Fluorescent Reporter Line for Sensitive and Specific Identification of Striatonigral Medium Spiny Neurons.” Front Syst Neurosci 5 (2011): 32. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2011.00032.
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  - Calakos, Nicole, Viren D. Patel, Melissa Gottron, Gaofeng Wang, Khan-Nhat Tran-Viet, Danielle Brewington, John L. Beyer, David C. Steffens, Ranga R. Krishnan, and Stephan Züchner. “Functional evidence implicating a novel TOR1A mutation in idiopathic, late-onset focal dystonia.” J Med Genet 47, no. 9 (September 2010): 646–50. https://doi.org/10.1136/jmg.2009.072082.
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  - Yang, Ying, and Nicole Calakos. “Acute in vivo genetic rescue demonstrates that phosphorylation of RIM1alpha serine 413 is not required for mossy fiber long-term potentiation.” J Neurosci 30, no. 7 (February 17, 2010): 2542–46. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4285-09.2010.
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  - Zhang, Zi-Wei, Mark W. Burke, Nicole Calakos, Jean-Martin Beaulieu, and Elvire Vaucher. “Confocal Analysis of Cholinergic and Dopaminergic Inputs onto Pyramidal Cells in the Prefrontal Cortex of Rodents.” Front Neuroanat 4 (2010): 21. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2010.00021.
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  - Welch, J. M., J. Lu, R. M. Rodriguiz, N. C. Trotta, J. Peca, J. ‐. D. Ding, C. Feliciano, et al. “[SY5.1]: Synaptic and circuitry mechanisms of obsessive compulsive‐like behaviors in mice.” International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience 26, no. 8 (December 2008): 835–835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2008.09.033.
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  - Shuen, Jessica A., Meng Chen, Bernd Gloss, and Nicole Calakos. “Drd1a-tdTomato BAC transgenic mice for simultaneous visualization of medium spiny neurons in the direct and indirect pathways of the basal ganglia.” J Neurosci 28, no. 11 (March 12, 2008): 2681–85. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5492-07.2008.
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  - Welch, Jeffrey M., Jing Lu, Ramona M. Rodriguiz, Nicholas C. Trotta, Joao Peca, Jin-Dong Ding, Catia Feliciano, et al. “Cortico-striatal synaptic defects and OCD-like behaviours in Sapap3-mutant mice.” Nature 448, no. 7156 (August 23, 2007): 894–900. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06104.
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  - Marie, Hélène, Wade Morishita, Xiang Yu, Nicole Calakos, and Robert C. Malenka. “Generation of silent synapses by acute in vivo expression of CaMKIV and CREB.” Neuron 45, no. 5 (March 3, 2005): 741–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2005.01.039.
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  - Calakos, Nicole, Susanne Schoch, Thomas C. Südhof, and Robert C. Malenka. “Multiple roles for the active zone protein RIM1alpha in late stages of neurotransmitter release.” Neuron 42, no. 6 (June 24, 2004): 889–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2004.05.014.
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  - Calakos, N., N. Fischbein, J. R. Baringer, and C. Jay. “Cortical MRI findings associated with rapid correction of hyponatremia.” Neurology 55, no. 7 (October 10, 2000): 1048–51. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.55.7.1048.
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  - Meffert, M. K., N. C. Calakos, R. H. Scheller, and H. Schulman. “Nitric oxide modulates synaptic vesicle docking fusion reactions.” Neuron 16, no. 6 (June 1996): 1229–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0896-6273(00)80149-x.
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  - CALAKOS, N. “Synaptic vesicle biogenesis, docking, and fusion : A Molecular Description.” Physiol Rev 76 (1996): 1–29.
  - Calakos, N., and R. H. Scheller. “Synaptic vesicle biogenesis, docking, and fusion: a molecular description.” Physiol Rev 76, no. 1 (January 1996): 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.1996.76.1.1.
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  - Calakos, N., and R. H. Scheller. “Vesicle-associated membrane protein and synaptophysin are associated on the synaptic vesicle.” J Biol Chem 269, no. 40 (October 7, 1994): 24534–37.
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  - Pevsner, J., S. C. Hsu, J. E. Braun, N. Calakos, A. E. Ting, M. K. Bennett, and R. H. Scheller. “Specificity and regulation of a synaptic vesicle docking complex.” Neuron 13, no. 2 (August 1994): 353–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/0896-6273(94)90352-2.
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  - Calakos, N., M. K. Bennett, K. E. Peterson, and R. H. Scheller. “Protein-protein interactions contributing to the specificity of intracellular vesicular trafficking.” Science 263, no. 5150 (February 25, 1994): 1146–49. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.8108733.
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  - Bennett, M. K., N. Calakos, and R. H. Scheller. “Syntaxin: a synaptic protein implicated in docking of synaptic vesicles at presynaptic active zones.” Science 257, no. 5067 (July 10, 1992): 255–59. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1321498.
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  - Bennett, M. K., N. Calakos, T. Kreiner, and R. H. Scheller. “Synaptic vesicle membrane proteins interact to form a multimeric complex.” J Cell Biol 116, no. 3 (February 1992): 761–75. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.116.3.761.
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  - Ngsee, J. K., W. S. Trimble, L. A. Elferink, B. Wendland, K. Miller, N. Calakos, and R. H. Scheller. “Molecular analysis of proteins associated with the synaptic vesicle membrane.” Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 55 (1990): 111–18. https://doi.org/10.1101/sqb.1990.055.01.014.
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  - Okuhn, S. P., D. P. Connelly, N. Calakos, L. Ferrell, M. X. Pan, and J. Goldstone. “Does compliance mismatch alone cause neointimal hyperplasia?” J Vasc Surg 9, no. 1 (January 1989): 35–45.
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- Book Sections
  - Calakos, N. “Botulinum toxin: From molecule to clinic.” In Handbook of Dystonia, 343–54, 2006.
- Conference Papers
  - Calakos, Nicole. “From Good Habit to Bad: Corticostriatal Synaptic and Circuit Mechanisms in Habit and Compulsion.” In Neuropsychopharmacology, 40:S38–39. NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2015.
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  - Calakos, N., N. Fischbein, B. Estanol, J. R. Baringer, and C. Jay. “Cortical manifestations of the osmotic myelinolysis syndrome identified by MRI.” In Neurology, 52:A80–81. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 1999.
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  - Jay, C. A., and N. Calakos. “Heroin inhalation and leukoencephalopathy: A case series from California.” In Neurology, 52:A446–A446. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 1999.
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  - PEVSNER, J., S. C. HSU, J. E. A. BRAUN, N. CALAKOS, A. E. TING, M. K. BENNETT, and R. H. SCHELLER. “MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION.” In Faseb Journal, 9:A1457–A1457. FEDERATION AMER SOC EXP BIOL, 1995.
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  - CALAKOS, N., W. S. TRIMBLE, and R. H. SCHELLER. “PROTEIN DOMAINS IMPORTANT FOR TARGETING OF THE SYNAPTIC VESICLE PROTEIN, VAMP.” In Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 279–279. WILEY-LISS, 1993.
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  - BENNETT, M. K., N. CALAKOS, K. G. MILLER, and R. H. SCHELLER. “SYNTAXIN - A SYNAPTIC PROTEIN IMPLICATED IN DOCKING OF SYNAPTIC VESICLES AT PRESYNAPTIC ACTIVE ZONES.” In Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3:A3–A3. AMER SOC CELL BIOLOGY, 1992.
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Teaching & Mentoring
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Education, Training, & Certifications

Previous Appointments & Affiliations

In the News

Subject Headings

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Book Sections

Conference Papers

Recent Courses

Advising & Mentoring

Available to mentor: