Vikram Shakkottai, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Shakkottai obtained his medical degree at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, and his PhD at the University of California, Irvine. He received his Neurology Residency training at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish hospital, and was a fellow in Movement Disorders at the University of Michigan. He joined the full-time faculty at University of Michigan in 2010. He moved to UTSW in 2021.

The long-term goal of Dr. Shakkottai’s clinical and laboratory research is to determine whether alterations in neuronal physiology contribute to motor dysfunction and to translate preclinical murine model research to human clinical trials for cerebellar ataxia. Work in Dr. Shakkottai’s laboratory has identified shared dysfunction in the cerebellum in murine models of ataxia, with identification of several ion channels that act in concert, and converging on large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels.  BK channels are likely a key target for therapy in degenerative ataxias.

Dr. Shakkottai's Clinical Interests include: Cerebellar Ataxia, Inherited & Sporadic Disorders of Cerebellar Dysfunction, Balance Disorders and Other Movement Disorders.

Medical School

Christian Medical College, India (2000)

Graduate School

University of California, Irvine (2004), Physiology & Biophysics

Internship

Washington University St. Louis - Barnes Jewish Hospital (2005), Internal Medicine

Residency

Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital (2008)

Fellowship

University of Michigan Medical School (2010), Movement Disorders

• Cerebellar Ataxia
• Ion Channel Dysfunction
• Ion channel pharmacology and drug discovery
• Potassium Channels
• Purkinje Neuron
• SCA

Featured Publications

Discovery of novel activators of large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels for the treatment of cerebellar ataxia.

Srinivasan SR, Huang H, Chang WC, Nasburg JA, Nguyen HM, Strassmaier T, Wulff H, Shakkottai VG, Mol Pharmacol 2022 Apr

Altered Capicua expression drives regional Purkinje neuron vulnerability through ion channel gene dysregulation in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1.

Chopra R, Bushart DD, Cooper JP, Yellajoshyula D, Morrison LM, Huang H, Handler HP, Man LJ, Dansithong W, Scoles DR, Pulst SM, Orr HT, Shakkottai VG, Hum Mol Genet 2020 Nov 29 19 3249-3265

A Chlorzoxazone-Baclofen Combination Improves Cerebellar Impairment in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1.

Bushart DD, Huang H, Man LJ, Morrison LM, Shakkottai VG, Mov Disord 2020 Nov

Multiple system atrophy pathology is associated with primary Sjogren's syndrome.

Conway KS, Camelo-Piragua S, Fisher-Hubbard A, Perry WR, Shakkottai VG, Venneti S, JCI Insight 2020 08 5 15

Nicotinamide Pathway-Dependent Sirt1 Activation Restores Calcium Homeostasis to Achieve Neuroprotection in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7.

Stoyas CA, Bushart DD, Switonski PM, Ward JM, Alaghatta A, Tang MB, Niu C, Wadhwa M, Huang H, Savchenko A, Gariani K, Xie F, Delaney JR, Gaasterland T, Auwerx J, Shakkottai VG, La Spada AR, Neuron 2020 02 105 4 630-644.e9

Protein kinase C activity is a protective modifier of Purkinje neuron degeneration in cerebellar ataxia.

Chopra R, Wasserman AH, Pulst SM, De Zeeuw CI, Shakkottai VG, Hum Mol Genet 2018 04 27 8 1396-1410

Potassium channel dysfunction underlies Purkinje neuron spiking abnormalities in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2.

Dell'Orco JM, Pulst SM, Shakkottai VG, Hum Mol Genet 2017 10 26 20 3935-3945

Neuronal Atrophy Early in Degenerative Ataxia Is a Compensatory Mechanism to Regulate Membrane Excitability.

Dell'Orco JM, Wasserman AH, Chopra R, Ingram MA, Hu YS, Singh V, Wulff H, Opal P, Orr HT, Shakkottai VG, J Neurosci 2015 Aug 35 32 11292-307

Early changes in cerebellar physiology accompany motor dysfunction in the polyglutamine disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

Shakkottai VG, do Carmo Costa M, Dell'Orco JM, Sankaranarayanan A, Wulff H, Paulson HL, J Neurosci 2011 Sep 31 36 13002-14

Enhanced neuronal excitability in the absence of neurodegeneration induces cerebellar ataxia.

Shakkottai VG, Chou CH, Oddo S, Sailer CA, Knaus HG, Gutman GA, Barish ME, LaFerla FM, Chandy KG, J Clin Invest 2004 Feb 113 4 582-90

• John W Schut Research Achievement Award
  National Ataxia Foundation (2022)
• Young Investigator Award, National Ataxia Foundation
  (2010)
• Leonard Berg Award for resident research, Washington University School of Medicine
  (2008)
• Dorothy Penrose Stout Award for the best predoctoral fellowship application in the Western States affiliate of the American Heart Association
  (2002)
• Dr. Miriaviakulam David Memorial Medal for the best outgoing MBBS student of the graduating year of 2000, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
  (1999)

• American Academy of Neurology (2006)
• American Neurological Association (2012)