Faculty and Staff Profiles

• PhD Behavioral Neuroscience - Madurai Kamaraj University - 2002
• M.Sc Botany - Madurai Kamaraj University - 1997
• B.Sc Botany - Madurai Kamaraj University - 1995

• Research Assistant Professor, School of Health Studies - University of Memphis - September 2019 – Present.
• Scientist, Immuno-Oncology lab - The CirQuest Labs LLC - October 2017 – August 2019
• Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences - University of Memphis - June 2010-September 2017
• Research Associate, Department of Psychology/Neuroscience Program - Michigan State University - September 2003 – May 2010
• PhD Student, Department of Animal Behavior and Physiology - Madurai Kamaraj University - June 1997 – September 2003
• M.Sc Student, Department of Botany - Madurai Kamaraj University - June 1995 - May 1997

• College of Health Sciences (CHS) Faculty Research Grant - University of Memphis - 2020
• Editorial Membership - International Editorial Committee, Revista Latinaomericana de Psicología - 2008-2013
• Editorial Membership - International Journal of Bioassays - 2013-present
• Merit Trainee Travel Award - Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, - May, 2006
• Society for Research on Biological Rhythms -   - 2003- Present
• Society for Neuroscience (SfN) -   - 2013-present
• Member - Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology - 2023-Present

• Chronobiology and Animal Physiology - Madurai Kamaraj University
• Brain and Behavior (Psychology #209) - Michigan State University
• Circadian Clocks - The University of Memphis
• Biology lab 1111 - The University of Memphis
• NUTR 7152- Problems in Nutrition - University of Memphis
• HMSE 7010: Research Methods in Health Sciences - University of Memphi
• NUTR 7100/8100 Intr Wet Lab Meth Hlth Studies - University of Memphis

• MS - Joshua Yoseph Shirazi - Spring 2023
• MS - Ali Akbari Beni - Spring 2023
• MS - Chidimma Okegbe - Fall 2022
• MS - Thomas Alton Lackie - Summer 2022
• MS - Jason Lin - Spring 2022
• BS - Saba Neyson Rohani - Fall 2021
• MS - Elina Babu Thomas - Fall 2020
• Trained six undergraduate students in research and lab techniques in Dr. Smale's lab - Michigan State University - 2003-2010
• Mentoring and supervising four graduate and six undergraduate students in Dr. Liu’s lab - The University of Memphis - 2010 -2017

• Patent: Cell Type-Specific Circadian Clock Models: The recombinant cell lines being used to identify circadian clock modulators and also used for the development of drugs to treat diseases affecting circadian rhythm. Application number #61/638674 -   -   -  

• Industry Grant -PI - Nutrasource - 8, 653 - 5/01/22 to 11/01/22
• Industry Grant (Co-PI) - Nutrasource - 22,000.00 - 03/16/20 to 09/30/20
• CHS Faculty Research Grant - CHS - January 2020 - University of Memphis - $7,500 - 1 year

•   - Ad-hoc Reviewer - Molecules
•   - Ad-hoc Reviewer - PLoS Genetics
•   - Ad-hoc Reviewer - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
•   - Ad-Hoc Reviewer - Journal of Circadian Rhythm
•   - Ad-Hoc Reviewer - Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A
•   - Ad-Hoc Reviewer - PLoS ONE
•   - Ad-Hoc Reviewer - International Journal of Human Genetics
•   - Ad-Hoc Reviewer - Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
•   - Ad-Hoc Reviewer - Chronobiology International
•   - Ad-Hoc Reviewer - International Journal of Bioassays

• Rebecca E. Koch, Chidimma Okegbe, Chidambaram Ramanathan, Xinyu Zhu, Ethan Hare, Matthew B. Toomey, Geoffrey E. Hill, Yufeng Zhang. Captivity affects mitochondrial aerobic respiration and carotenoid metabolism in the house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) J. Exp Biol. bioRxiv 2023.11.11.566700; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.11.566700
• Johnson, H.; Yates, T. Leedom, G. Ramanathan, C. Puppa, M. van der Merwe, M.Tipirneni-Sajja, A. Multi-Tissue Time-Domain NMR Metabolomics Investigation of Time-Restricted Feeding in Male and Female Nile Grass Rats. Metabolites 2022, 12, 657.
• Ramanathan, C, Hayden J, Suman S, Wangkuk S, Melissa P, Saba N R, Aaryani T S, Bloomer J R, and van der Merwe M. (2022). Early Time-Restricted Feeding Amends Circadian Clock Function and Improves Metabolic Health in Male and Female Nile Grass Rats. Medicines 9, no. 2: 15
• Ramanathan, C., Lackie, T., Williams, D.H., Simone, P.S., Zhang,Y., Bloomer, R.J. (2022) Oral Administration of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Increases Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Level in an Animal Brain. Nutrients 2022, 14, 300. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14020300
• Yap, K.N., Wong, H.S., Ramanathan, C., Rodriguez-Wagner, C.A., Roberts, M.D., Freeman, D.A., Buffenstein, R. and Zhang, Y. (2022) Naked mole-rat and Damaraland mole-rat exhibit lower respiration in mitochondria, cellular and organismal levels. Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg.1863(7):148582. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.05.455346
• Lee Y, Shen Y, Francey LJ, Ramanathan C, Sehgal A, Liu AC, Hogenesch JB (2019) The NRON complex controls circadian clock function through regulated PER and CRY nuclear translocation. Sci Rep. 2019 Aug 15;9(1):11883. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-48341-8.
• Ramanathan C, Liu AC (2018) Developing Mammalian Cellular Clock Models Using Firefly Luciferase Reporter. Methods Mol Biol. 2018;1755:49-64. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7724-6_4.
• Ramanathan C, Kathale ND, Liu D, Lee C, Freeman DA, Hogenesch JB, Cao R, Liu AC (2018) mTOR Signaling Regulates Central and Peripheral Circadian Clock Function. PLoS Genet 14(5): e1007369.
• Wible RS*, Ramanathan C*, Sutter CH, Olesen KM, Kensler TW, Liu AC, Sutter TR (2018) NRF2 regulates core and stabilizing circadian clock loops integrating redox oscillations into the circadian clockwork in mouse hepatocytes. eLife, 2018; 7: e31656. *Co-first author.
• Xu H, Gustafson CL, Sammons PJ, Khan SK, Parsley NC, Ramanathan C, Lee HW, Liu AC, Partch CL (2015) Cryptochrome 1 regulates the circadian clock through dynamic interactions with the BMAL1 C terminus. Nat Struct Mol Biol. (6):476-84. doi: 10.1038/nsmb.3018. Epub 2015 May 11.
• Martin-Fairey CA, Ramanathan C, Stowie A, Walaszczyk E, Smale L, and Nunez AA (2015) Plastic oscillators and fixed rhythms: Changes in the phase of clock-gene rhythms in the PVN are not reflected in the phase of the melatonin rhythm of grass rats. Neuroscience 288:178-86.
• Shuboni DD, Cramm SL, Yan L, Ramanathan C, Cavanaugh BL, Nunez AA, and Smale L (2014) Acute effects of light on the brain and behavior of diurnal Arvicanthis niloticus and nocturnal Mus musculus. Physiol Behav. 138:75-86.
• Ramanathan C, Xu H, Khan SK, Shen Y, Gitis PJ, Welsh DK, Hogenesch JB, and Liu AC (2014) Cell type-specific functions of period genes revealed by novel adipocyte and hepatocyte circadian clock models. PLoS Genet 10(4): e1004244. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1004244 (Six press reports)
• Anafi CR, Lee Y, Sato KT, Venkataraman A, Ramanathan C, Kavakli HI, Hughes EM, Baggs J, Growe J, Liu AC, Kim J, and Hogenesch BJ (2014) Machine learning helps identify CHRONO as a circadian clock component. PLoS Biology 12(4): e1001840. (Two press reports)
• Leach G, Ramanathan C, Langel J, and Yan L (2013) Responses of brain and behavior to changing day-length in the diurnal grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). Neuroscience. 234: 31-39.
• Ramanathan C, Khan SK, Kathale ND, Xu H, and Liu AC (2012) Monitoring cell-autonomous circadian clock rhythms of gene expression using luciferase bioluminescence reporters. JoVE (67) doi:pii: 4234. 10.3791/4234. It is an online video journal, and I played leading role in the article. (Total viewed 4,093)
• Ramanathan C, Stowie A, Smale L, and Nunez A A (2010) Phase preference for the display of activity is associated with the phase of extra-suprachiasmatic nucleus oscillators within and between species. Neuroscience 170: 758-772.
• Ramanathan C, Stowie A, Smale L, and Nunez A A (2010) PER2 rhythms in the amygdale and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of the diurnal grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). Neuroscience Letters 473: 220-223.
• Cohen R, Kronfeld-Schor N, Ramanathan C, Baumgras A and Smale L (2010) The substructure of the suprachiasmatic nucleus: similarities between nocturnal and diurnal spiny mice. Brain Behav. & Evol. 75:9-22.
• Weber A J, Viswanathan S, Ramanathan C, and Harman C D (2009) Combined application of BDNF to the eye and brain enhances ganglion cell survival and function in the cat following optic nerve injury. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 51:327-334.
• Mahoney M M, Ramanathan C, Hagenauer M H, Thompson R C, Smale L, and Lee T (2009) Daily rhythms and sex differences in vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, VIPR2 receptor and arginine vasopressin mRNA in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of a diurnal grass rat, Arvicanthis niloticus. Eur. J Neurosci. 30: 1537-1543.
• Ramanathan C, Campbell A, Tomczak A, Nunez A A, Smale L, and Yan L (2009) Compartmentalized expression of light-induced clock genes expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the diurnal grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). Neuroscience 161: 960-969.
• Ramanathan C, Nunez A A, and Smale L (2008) Daily rhythms in PER1 within and beyond the suprachiasmatic nucleus of female grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus). Neuroscience 156: 48-58.
• Ramanathan C, Smale L, and Nunez A A (2008) Rhythms in expression of PER1 protein in the amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of the diurnal grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). Neuroscience Letters 441: 86-89.
• Mahoney M M, Ramanathan C, and Smale L (2007) Tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons and their contacts with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-containing fibers in the hypothalamus of the diurnal murid rodent, Arvicanthis niloticus. J Chem Neuroanat 33: 131-139.
• Ramanathan C, Nunez A A, Martinez G S, Schwartz M D, and Smale L (2006) Temporal and spatial distribution of immunoreactive PER1 and PER2 proteins in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and peri-suprachiasmatic region of the diurnal grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). Brain Res 1073-1074: 348-358.
• Chidambaram R, Marimuthu G, and Sharma V K (2004) Effect of behavioural feedback on circadian clocks of the nocturnal field mouse Mus booduga. Biological Rhythm Research, 35: 213-227.
• Sharma V K., Chidambaram R, and Yadunandam KA (2003) Melatonin enhances the sensitivity of circadian pacemakers to light in the nocturnal field mouse Mus booduga. J Exp Zool 297A: 160-168.
• Sharma V K and Chidambaram R (2003) Entrainment of circadian locomotor activity rhythm of the nocturnal field mouse Mus booduga using daily injection of melatonin. J Exp Zool 296A: 30-37.
• Sharma V K, Chidambaram R (2002) Intensity- dependent phase- adjustments in the locomotor activity rhythm of the nocturnal field mouse Mus booduga. J Exp Zool 292: 444-459.
• Sharma V K, Chidambaram R, and Chandrashekaran M K (2000) Probing the circadian pacemaker of a mouse using two light pulses. J Biol Rhythms 15: 67-73.
• Sharma V K, Chidambaram R, Subbaraj R, and Chandrashekaran M K (2000) Effects of restricted feeding cycle on the locomotor activity rhythm in the mouse Mus booduga. Physiol. Behav, 70: 81-87.
• Sharma V K, Chidambaram R, Singh J T, Lingakumar K, Subbaraj R, and Chandrashekaran M K (2000) Irradiance dependency of UV-A induced phase shifts in the locomotor activity rhythm of the field mouse Mus booduga. Chronobiol Int 17: 777-782.

• Chidambaram Ramanathan, Ali Akbar, Chidimma Okegbe, Rebecca Koch, Matthew Powers, Ethan Hare, Geoffrey Hill, Matthew Toomey, and Yufeng Zhang. Establishing in-vitro systems to study vertebrate ketocarotenoid metabolism. Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB-2023). Austin, TX.
• Chidambaram Ramanathan: Leveraging cellular clock models in clock modifiers discovery at 4th International Conference on Genome Biology and 54th Annual Aqua-Terr symposium (February 28-March 1, 2023) at the School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
• Kaitlyn Victor, Lawrence T. Reiter, Chidambaram Ramanathan, Andrew C. Liu, and Yang Shen. Analysis of Circadian Rhythm Defects in Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang Syndrome Neurons. Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR-2023), Denver, CO.
• Ramanathan, C, 2022 (July 4), Invited a talk entitled "Developing and leveraging cell-based clock models in clock gene discovery" at the School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Jason Lin, Brittany Counts, Zereque Powell, Chidambaram Ramanathan, James Carson, Melissa Puppa. The Role of Skeletal Muscle Intrinsic Clock in the Development and Progression of Cancer Cachexia. Experimental Biology 2022. Philadelphia, PA.
• Hayden Johnson, Chidambaram Ramanathan, Melissa Puppa, Marie van der Merwe, and Aaryani Tipirneni-Sajja. Investigating time-restricted feeding and metabolic sexual dimorphism in Nile grass rats by time-domain NMR lipid profiling. International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Annual Conference 2022.
• Yap, KN; Wong, HS; Ramanathan, C; Rodriguez-Wagner, CA*; Freeman, DA; Zhang, Y. (2021 January). Rate of living theory revisited: mitochondrial, cellular, and whole organism metabolism in Siberian hamster and the long-lived Damaraland mole rat. Presented at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting.
• Melissa Puppa, Chidambaram Ramanathan, Hayden Johnson, Suman Sharma, Wangkuk Son, Aaryani Tipirneni-Sajja, Richard Bloomer, and Marie van der Merwe. (October 2021). Sexual dimorphism of diurnal Nile grass rats in response to a high-fat diet and time-restricted feeding. Presented at APS New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine.
• Hayden Johnson, Chidambaram Ramanathan, Melissa Puppa, Marie van der Merwe, and Aaryani Tipirneni-Sajja. (October 2021) Robust and reproducible time-domain NMR metabolomics of hepatic tissues using CRAFT. Presented at Metabolomics Association of North America (MANA).
• Rate of living theory revisited: mitochondrial, cellular, and whole-organism metabolism in Siberian hamster and the long-lived Damaraland mole rat. Kang Nian Yap, Hoi Shan Wong, Chidambaram Ramanathan, Cristina Aurora Rodriguez-Wagner, David A Freeman, and Yufeng Zhang. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. January 2020.
• Circadian rhythm in diurnal grass rat Aricanthis niloticus: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, NJ.
• Circadian rhythm in a diurnal brain: Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN.
• shRNA-mediated gene knockdown in cell type- specific clock models. Rhythms in the Southeastern Region (RISER), University of Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, May 2011.
• Ramanathan C, Xu H, Medina M, Batalov S, Orth A, Hogenesch J, and Liu C Genetic characterization of novel cellular clock models reveals tissue-specific function of circadian clock genes13th Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Sandestin, Florida (USA), May 19-23, 2012
• Ramanathan C, Stowie A, Smale L, and Nunez A A. Voluntary wheel running induces PER2 rhythms in the dentate gyrus of day-active and night active grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). 12th Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Sandestin, Florida (USA), May 22-26, 2010
• Ramanathan C, Stowie A, Nunez A A, and Smale L Daily rhythms in PER1 in the SCN and extra-SCN regions of day and night active grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus). 39th Annual Meeting of Society of Neuroscience, Chicago, October 17-21, 2009.
• Nunez A A, Ramanathan C, Castillo-Ruiz A, Smale L. What happened to the brain when night became day? Congreso Nacional de Ciencias Fisiologicas (National Congress of Physiological Sciences), Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, September 7–11, 2008.
• Castillo-Ruiz A, Ramanathan C, Smale L, and Nunez A A. Evidence that neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus have access to the cerebrospinal fluid in the diurnal grass rat. 38th Annual Meeting of Society of Neuroscience, Washington, DC, November 17-21, 2008.
• Ramanathan C, Nunez A A, and Smale L. PER1 rhythms in extra-SCN of the diurnal grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus). 11th Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Sandestin, Florida (USA), May 17-21, 2008.
• Ramanathan C, Nunez A A, and Smale L. Daily rhythms in PER1 within and beyond the SCN of female grass rats (Arvicanthis niloticus), 10th Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Sandestin, Florida (USA), May 21-25, 2006.
• Mahoney M M, Ramanathan C, Hagenauer M H, Smale L, and Lee T. A comparison of mRNA rhythms in vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and vasopressin in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of male and female grass rat, 35th Annual Meeting of Society of Neuroscience, Washington, DC, November 12-16, 2005.
• Ramanathan C, Nunez A A, Martinez G S, Schwartz M D, and Smale L. Distribution of immunoreactive PER1 protein in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and adjacent hypothalamus of the diurnal grass rat, (Arvicanthis niloticus). 9th Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR), Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, June 24-26, 2004.
• Ramanathan C, Sharma V K, and Marimuthu G. Entrainment of circadian locomotor activity rhythm of the nocturnal field mouse Mus booduga using daily injections of melatonin. 25th Annual Symposium of Indian Society for Chronobiology, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology Unit, (JNCASR), Jakkur, Bangalore, India September 3-4, 2002.
• Ramanathan C and Marimuthu G. A molecular method to study reproductive behaviour of Fulvous fruit bat Rousettus leschenaultia. 27th conference of the Ethological Society of India Department of Zoology, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram (India).March 25-27, 2002.
• Ramanathan C and Marimuthu G. Effects of restricted feeding cycle on the locomotor activity rhythm in the mouse Mus booduga. 26th conference of the Ethological Society of India, School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai (India).December 13-15, 2000.