Personal Info
- Country of residence: Jordan
Information
Loai A. Alzghoul
University of Jordan
Department of Physiology and Biochemistry
P.O.BOX 13408,
University of Jordan
Amman 11942, Jordan.
EMAIL: l.zghoul@ju.edu.jo
Education:
Dec 2012 Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS USA.
Dec 2009 MA in Biomedical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center,
Jackson, MS USA
1999 -2004 B.D.S in Dentistry, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
Professional Experience:
Dec 2012—Present Assistance Professor (Department of Physiology and Biochemistry),
University of Jordan. Amman, Jordan
2008–2012 Graduate assistant Department of Psychiatry, University of Mississippi
Medical Center, Jackson, MS.
2006–2008 Research and teaching assistant Department of Physiology and
Biochemistry / Faculty of Medicine, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
2005–2008 Dentist My own private dental clinic, Amman, Jordan
2004–2005 Dentist Ministry of Health, Amman, Jordan
Special Courses:
Molecular biology training course: the basic molecular biology techniques that include extracting
the genetic material RNA & DNA, DNA amplification by PCR and analyzing the product out of the
PCR by Gel Electrophoresis. University of Jordan, Amman, 2006
Stereology: a method to estimate the total number of cells and volume in a given brain structure.
University of Mississippi medical center, Jackson, 2011
Teaching Experience:
- Medical and Dental Physiology course: University Of Jordan 2012-present
Subjects: Introduction to Physiology, Nerve and Muscle physiology, central nervous
system physiology, and Physiology of special senses.
- Pharmacy, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Physiology course: University Of Jordan 2012-
present
Subjects: Introduction to Physiology, Nerve and Muscle physiology,
neurophysiology, and Physiology of special senses.
- Medical Neurobiology, spring 2011, University of Mississippi Medical Center "Teaching
Assistant"
- Practical physiology lab for medical, dental, pharmacy, and nursing undergraduate students,
spring 2007, University of Jordan "Teaching Assistant"
- Practical physiology lab for medical, dental, pharmacy, and nursing undergraduate students,
fall 2006, University of Jordan "Teaching Assistant"
Affiliation:
- Member Of Society For Neuroscience. 2010 – Present
- Member Of Society For Arab Neuroscientists. 2010 – Present
Research Experience:
1. Environmental and genetic etiology of Autism
Study the role of environmental and genetic factor in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum
disorder
2. Animal models for autism;
Development and validation for animal models for autism spectrum disorder
3. Single-neuron and multiple-neuron recording;
Recording and analyzing single-neuron activity of anesthetized rats.
4. Local field potential recording;
Recording and analyzing the local field potential of one or more areas of the brain in anesthetized
rats.
5. Immunohistochemistry;
Single, double or triple staining brain tissue sections with fluorescent targeted to specific antigens.
6. Stereology;
Applying the design-based stereological approaches to produce unbiased and accurate quantitative of
histology.
Peer Reviewed Publications:
- Zhang J, Dennis KA, Darling RD, Alzghoul L, Paul IA, Simpson KL, et al. Neonatal
citalopram exposure decreases serotonergic fiber density in the olfactory bulb of male but
not female adult rats. Frontiers in cellular neuroscience. 2013;7:67. PubMed PMID:
23675318. Pubmed Central PMCID: 3650517.
- Malik Sa, Shafagoj Y, Abdeen D, Khatib F, Zghoul L, Coles C. Youth Attitudes Towards
Water Pipe Smoking in Amman – Jordan. . Jordan Medical Journal. 2013;47(1):35 - 43.
- Bortolato M, Godar SC, Alzghoul L, Zhang J, Darling RD, Simpson KL, et al. Monoamine
oxidase A and A/B knockout mice display autistic-like features. Int J
Neuropsychopharmacol. 2013 May;16(4):869-88. PubMed PMID: 22850464. Pubmed
Central PMCID: 3517692.
- Alzghoul L, Bortolato M, Delis F, Thanos PK, Darling RD, Godar SC, et al. Altered
cerebellar organization and function in monoamine oxidase A hypomorphic mice.
Neuropharmacology. 2012 Dec;63(7):1208-17. PubMed PMID: 22971542. Pubmed Central
PMCID: 3442946.
- Darling RD, Alzghoul L, Zhang J, Khatri N, Paul IA, Simpson KL, et al. Perinatal
citalopram exposure selectively increases locus ceruleus circuit function in male rats. The
Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2011 Nov
16;31(46):16709-15. PubMed PMID: 22090498. Pubmed Central PMCID: 3312583.
- de Villers-Sidani E, Alzghoul L, Zhou X, Simpson KL, Lin RC, Merzenich MM. Recovery
of functional and structural age-related changes in the rat primary auditory cortex with
operant training. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of
America. 2010 Aug 3;107(31):13900-5. PubMed PMID: 20643928. Pubmed Central
PMCID: 2922281.
Poster Presentations:
Alzghoul L, Abu Tarboush N, Eldahabi M, Albdour S, Abu Hantash O, Abu-Irmaileh B. Brief
Dysregulation in metal homeostasis in autistic children compared to controls in Jordan. Program No.
585.08/E32. 2015 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. Chicago, IL: Society for Neuroscience, 2015.
Online
Alzghoul L, Darling RD, Khatri N, Simpson KL, Paul IA, & Lin RCS.
Early life serotonin levels dysregulation effect on the intermehispheric connectivity in rats 2012
Neuroscience Meeting
Lu Y, Zhou X, Alzghoul L, Darling RD, Simpson KL, Merzenich MM & Lin RCS
Auditory training restores serotonergic and cortical inhibitory circuitry after neonatal antidepressant
exposure in rats. 2012 Neuroscience Meeting .
Darling RD, Alzghoul L, Khatri N, Lu Y, Simpson KL, Paul IA, & Lin RCS.
Altered node of Ranvier organization in interhemispheric axons after brief postnatal citalopram
exposure in adult rats. 2012 Neuroscience Meeting
Clark RL, Alzghoul L, Darling RD, Khatri N, Lea MA, Simpson KL, Paul IA, & Lin RCS.
Brief postnatal citalopram exposure alters anterior commissure integrity in adult rats. 2012
Neuroscience Meeting
Alzghoul L, Zhang J, Darling RD, Paul IA, Simpson KL, Chen K, Shih JC & Lin RCS.
Altered cerebellum organization in monoamine oxidase A deficient mice. 2011 Neuroscience
Meeting
Zhang J, Dennis K, Darling RD, Alzghoul L, Simpson KL, Paul IA & Lin RCS . Neonatal exposure
of citalopram decreases serotonergic fiber density in the olfactory bulb of adult male but not female
rats. 2011 Neuroscience Meeting
Alzghoul L, Zhang J, Darling RD, Paul IA, Simpson KL, Chen K, Shih JC & Lin RCS
Dysregulation of serotonin during early development altered callosal connectivity in the rodent.
Program No. 463.12/U14. 2010 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for
Neuroscience, 2010. Online.
Darling RD, Alzghoul L, Zhang J, Duncan JW, Khatri N, Paul IA, Simpson KL & Lin RCS.
Neonatal exposure to citalopram functionally alters the norepinephrine system in male rats. Program
No. 463.17/V1. 2010 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience,
2010. Online.
Zhang J, Darling RD, Alzghoul L, Simpson KL, Chen K, Shih JC & Lin RCS (2010) Altered
expression of noradrenergic tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity of locus coeruleus circuitry
following perinatal manipulations in the rodent. Program No. 463.11/U13. 2010 Neuroscience
Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2010. Online.
Lu Y, Zhang J, Darling RD, Alzghoul L, Simpson KL, Chen K, Shih JC & Lin RCS (2010) Altered
cortical connectivity in monoamine oxidase A knockout mice. Program No. 463.3/U5. 2010
Neuroscience Meeting Planner. San Diego, CA: Society for Neuroscience, 2010. Online.
Grants & Ongoing projects:
- The Role of Sulfur-containing Amino Acids Metabolic Cycle and Vitamin B12 Levels in the
Pathophysiology of Autism. Hamdi Mango Center for Scientific Research, Amman, Jordan.
(5,000 JD) – PI
- Cytogenetic Aberration in Jordanian Autistics. Deanship of academic research, The University
of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. (10,000 JD) – PI
- The Role of Zinc blood concentration in autism spectrum disorder. Deanship of academic
research, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. (5,000 JD) –PI
- Measuring metallothionein levels in autism spectrum disorder patients in Jordan. Deanship of
academic research, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. (45000 JD) – PI
- Analysis of the Ultrastructure differences of the corpus callosum between male and female rats.
Deanship of academic research, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. (45000 JD) – Co PI
Achievements and Awards
- Years in active
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