Director YCHRC; Section of Endocrinology

• Scott A. Rivkees, M.D., Assoc. Professor
  Academic Interest: Circadian biology, Neuroendocrinology, Adenosine biology
• Zhiyong Zhao, Ph.D., Assoc. Res. Scientist
  Academic Interest: Developmental Cardiology
• Christopher Turner, Ph.D., Assoc. Res. Scientist
  Academic Interest: Developmental Neurobiology
• Henglun Yan, Ph.D., Assoc. Res. Scientist
  Academic Interest: Oligodendrocyte development
• Dongchen Lu, Ph.D., Assoc. Res. Scientist Academic Interest: Molecular biochemistry
• Timothy Othman, Ph.D., DVM, Assoc. Res. Scientist
  Academic Interest: Receptor biology and neuroscience
• George Porter, M.D., Ph.D., Assoc. Res. Scientist
  Academic Interest: Developmental Cardiology

Post-doctoral fellows, post-doctoral research associates, and other trainees

• Mina Kim, M.D., Post-doc in Endocrinology, Yale, Residency
• Meltem Seli, M.D., Post-doc in Neonatology, Yale, Residency
• Li Lei, Ph.D., Post-doc, Univ. Iowa

Current Grant Support

Name	Title	Funding Agency	Dates
Scott Rivkees	"Vaccine Therapy of Congential Adrenal Hyperplasia"	NIH: STTR	2003
Scott Rivkees	“Purinergic Mechanisms of Hypoglycemic Brain Injury”	NIH: R21	2001-2003
Scott Rivkees	“Influence of Adenosine on the Developing Heart”	NHLBI RO1HL58442	2001-2005
Scott Rivkees	"Determination of Molecular Binding Site in Human A1 Adenosine Receptor”	American Cancer Society	2000-2004
Scott Rivkees	"Human A1-Adenosine Receptor Action in Human Hippocampus"	NINDS RO1 NS33539-06	2000-2004
Scott Rivkees	“Prevention of Brain Injury in Premature Infants”	Donaghue Medical Research Foundation	1999-2004
Scott Rivkees	"Developing Circadian Rhythmicity"	NINDS 1RO1NS32624-06	1999-2003
Scott Rivkees	"Yale Child Health Research Center"	NICHD	2000-2004
Scott Rivkees	“YCHRC Imaging Center”	Fanny Ripple Foundation	-

Honors and Awards for 2001 and 2002:

• Scott Rivkees, Director Yale Child Health Research Center
• Scott Rivkees, US Senate, Expert for Children and Families Subcommittee
• Scott Rivkees, Named “One of America's Top Pediatricians"
• Scott Rivkees, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Scott Rivkees, American Society for Clinical Investigation
• Scott Rivkees, Editorial Board J Pediatric Endocrinology
• Scott Rivkees, Editorial Board J Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Publications for 2001 and 2002:
Porter GA, Rivkees SA. The ontogeny of humoral regulation of embryonic cardiac function. Am Journal of Physiology 281:R401-R407, 2001.

Porter GA Jr, Makuck RF, Rivkees SA. Reduction in intracellular calcium levels inhibits myoblast differentiation. J Biol Chem. 2002 277(32):28942-7.

Rentschler S, Zander J, Meyers K, France D, Levine R, Porter G, Rivkees SA, Morley GE, Fishman GI. Neroregulin-1 promotes formation of the murine cardiac conduction system. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 99(16):10464-9.

Rivkees SA. Arrythmicity in septo-optic dysplasia and establishment of sleep-wake cyclicity with melatonin. Journal of Pediatrics 2001 : 139:463-465.

Rivkees SA, Cornelius E. Influence of iodine-131 dose on outcome of hyperthyroidism in children. Pediatrics 2003:111:745-9.

Thevanather S, Rivera A, Rivkees SA. Adenosine receptor activation inhibits neurite growth by Rho-Associated-Kinase-mediated mechanisms. NeuroReport 12:3057-3063, 2001.

Turner CP, Yan H, Schwartz M, Othman T, Rivkees SA. A1 adenosine receptor activation induces ventriculomegaly and white matter loss. NeuroReport. 2002;13(9):1199-204.

Turner CP, Rivkees SA. Reduction in intracellular calcium levels induces injury in developing neurons. Experimental Neurology 2002, 178(1):21-32.

Wei L, Roberts W, Wang L, Yamada M, Zhang S, Zhao Z, Rivkees SA, Schwartz RJ, Imanaka Yoshida. Rho kinases play an obligatory role in vertebrate embryonic organogenesis. Development 128:2953-2962, 2001.

Yan H, Rivkees SA. Hepatocyte growth factor stimulates the proliferation and migration of oligodendrocyte precursor cells.J Neurosci Res. 2002 69(5):597-606.

Zhao Z, Rivkees SA. Adenosine inhibits cell division in the embryonic heart. Devel Dynamics 221(2):194-200, 2001

Zhao Z, Rivkees. Rho-associated kinases play an essential role in cardiac morphogenesis and cardiomyocyte proliferation. Devel Dynamics 2003 226(1):24-32.

Reviews and Chapters:
Rice AR, Rivkees SA. Paradigms of hormone action: Signaling pathways and receptors. IN: Pediatric Endocrinology. Ed: M. Sperling (in press).

Rivkees SA. Mechanisms and Clinical Significance of Circadian Rhythms. Current

Opinions in Pediatrics 13:352-357, 2001.

Rivkees SA. Circadian rhythms and disorders of the circadian system. IN: Recent Advances in Pediatrics Ed: TJ David. Churchill Livingstone. 187-196, 2001.

Rivkees SA, Turner CP, Zhao Z, Porter GP. Influences of adenosine on the fetus and newborn. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism 74:160-171, 2001

Rivkees SA. Circadian Rhythms-Genetic regulation and clinical disorders. Growth, Genetics and Hormones 18:1-6, 2002.

Rivkees SA. Thyroid disease in children and adolescents. Contemporary Endocrinology (in press).

Rivkees SA, Carpenter TC. Hyperparathyroidism in children. IN: Pediatric Endocrinology. (in press).

Editorials:
Rivkees SA. Time to wake-up to the individual variation in sleep needs. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2003 88(1):24-5

Research Activities and Attainments in 2001 and 2002
In 1996, Dr. Rivkees joined the Yale University. He currently directs an active basic science and clinical research program, is a member of the Connecticut Department of Public Health Genetics Advisory Committee involved with newborn screen, and is the newly appointed Director of the Yale Child Health Research Center.

Dr. Rivkees' laboratory program is directed at understanding basic mechanisms of heart and brain development, and learning how the molecule adenosine that is present in all cells effects these processes. These lines of studies are leading to new insights into causes of congenital heart disease and forms of brain injury that can affect premature babies.

Another area of Dr. Rivkees' research program is studying how the circadian clock that is responsible for the generating sleep-wake cycles develops and is regulated by light in infants. These studies have resulted in the recent discovery that premature infants exposed to regular light-dark cycles before discharge from the hospital develop regular sleep cycles sooner than infants not exposed to cycled lighting before discharge.

Lastly, Dr. Rivkees is focusing on several areas of considerable importance to Pediatric Endocrinology. He is currently evaluating treatments of Graves disease, which is the most common for of hyperthyroidism in children. He is also involved in developing new treatments for congenital adrenal hyperplasia and developing strategies to help protect against injury caused by low blood sugar levels.