Justin Fallon is a Professor of Neuroscience and Co-Director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Cells and Synapses at Brown University. He also founded Tivorsan Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company dedicated to developing therapies for Muscular Dystrophy and ALS. His original training was in cell biology at the University of Pennsylvania. He then expanded into neurobiology during postdoctoral training at University College London and Stanford. His work led to the discovery of biglycan, a protein that stabilizes the nerve-muscle synapse and controls a key pathway that can compensate for the underlying defect that causes Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Fallon also studies the mechanisms of enduring synaptic plastic and how they are defective, and can be corrected, in neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism.
| Stackpole EE, Akins MR, Ivshina M, Murthy AC, Fawzi NL, Fallon JR. "EGFP insertional mutagenesis reveals multiple FXR2P fibrillar states with differing ribosome association in neurons." Biology Open, vol. 8, no. 8, 2019. |
| Fallon, Justin R., McNally, Elizabeth M. "Non-Glycanated Biglycan and LTBP4: Leveraging the extracellular matrix for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy therapeutics." Matrix Biology, vol. 68-69, 2018, pp. 616-627. |
| M. A. White, E. Kim, A. Duffy, R. Adalbert, B.U. Phillips, O.M. Peters, J. Stephenson, S. Yang, F. Massenzio, Z. Lin, S. Andrews, A. Segonds-Pichon, J. Metterville, L.M. Saksida, R. Mead, R.R Ribchester, Y. Barhomi, T. Serre, M.P. Coleman, Justin Fallon, T.J. Bussey, R.H. Brown Jr & J. Sreedharan. "TDP-43 gains function due to perturbed autoregulation in a Tardbp knock-in mouse model of ALS-FTD." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 21, no. 4, 2018, pp. 52-563. |
| Akins MR, Berk-Rauch HE, Kwan KY, Mitchell ME, Shepard KA, Korsak LI, Stackpole EE, Warner-Schmidt JL, Sestan N, Cameron HA, Fallon JR. "Axonal ribosomes and mRNAs associate with fragile X granules in adult rodent and human brains." Human molecular genetics, vol. 26, no. 1, 2017, pp. 192-209. |
| Yilmaz A, Kattamuri C, Ozdeslik RN, Schmiedel C, Mentzer S, Schorl C, Oancea E, Thompson TB, Fallon JR. "MuSK is a BMP co-receptor that shapes BMP responses and calcium signaling in muscle cells." Science Signaling, vol. 9, no. 444, 2016, pp. ra87. |
| Furlong P, Bridges JF, Charnas L, Fallon JR, Fischer R, Flanigan KM, Franson TR, Gulati N, McDonald C, Peay H, Sweeney HL. "How a patient advocacy group developed the first proposed draft guidance document for industry for submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." Orphanet journal of rare diseases, vol. 10, 2015, pp. 82. |
| Stackpole EE, Akins MR, Fallon JR. "N-myristoylation regulates the axonal distribution of the Fragile X-related protein FXR2P." Molecular and cellular neurosciences, vol. 62C, 2014, pp. 42-50. |
| Fallon J. "On the path to a Duchenne muscular dystrophy therapy." Rhode Island medical journal (2013), vol. 96, no. 2, 2013, pp. 22-5. |
| Amenta AR, Creely HE, Mercado ML, Hagiwara H, McKechnie BA, Lechner BE, Rossi SG, Wang Q, Owens RT, Marrero E, Mei L, Hoch W, Young MF, McQuillan DJ, Rotundo RL, Fallon JR. "Biglycan is an extracellular MuSK binding protein important for synapse stability." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 32, no. 7, 2012, pp. 2324-34. |
| Young MF, Fallon JR. "Biglycan: a promising new therapeutic for neuromuscular and musculoskeletal diseases." Current opinion in genetics & development, vol. 22, no. 4, 2012, pp. 398-400. |
| Akins MR, Leblanc HF, Stackpole EE, Chyung E, Fallon JR. "Systematic mapping of fragile X granules in the mouse brain reveals a potential role for presynaptic FMRP in sensorimotor functions." The Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol. 520, no. 16, 2012, pp. 3687-706. |
| Amenta AR, Yilmaz A, Bogdanovich S, McKechnie BA, Abedi M, Khurana TS, Fallon JR. "Biglycan recruits utrophin to the sarcolemma and counters dystrophic pathology in mdx mice." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 108, no. 2, 2011, pp. 762-7. |
| Fallon JR. "Calcium channels put synapses in their place." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 14, no. 5, 2011, pp. 536-8. |
| Akins MR, Berk-Rauch HE, Fallon JR. "Presynaptic translation: stepping out of the postsynaptic shadow." Frontiers in neural circuits, vol. 3, 2009, pp. 17. |
| Christie SB, Akins MR, Schwob JE, Fallon JR. "The FXG: a presynaptic fragile X granule expressed in a subset of developing brain circuits." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 29, no. 5, 2009, pp. 1514-24. |
| Peat RA, Gécz J, Fallon JR, Tarpey PS, Smith R, Futreal A, Stratton MR, Lamandé SR, Yang N, North KN. "Exclusion of biglycan mutations in a cohort of patients with neuromuscular disorders." Neuromuscular disorders : NMD, vol. 18, no. 8, 2008, pp. 606-9. |
| Amenta, A., McKechnie, B., Abedi, M., Fallon, J. "G.P.6.10 Systemically-administered biglycan upregulates utrophin and counters dystrophic pathology in mdx mice: A novel pharmacological approach for DMD therapy." Neuromuscular disorders : NMD, vol. 17, no. 9-10, 2007, pp. 804. |
| Richter JD, Fallon JR. "Synapses go nucle(ol)ar." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 10, no. 4, 2007, pp. 399-400. |
| Rafii MS, Hagiwara H, Mercado ML, Seo NS, Xu T, Dugan T, Owens RT, Hook M, McQuillan DJ, Young MF, Fallon JR. "Biglycan binds to alpha- and gamma-sarcoglycan and regulates their expression during development." Journal of cellular physiology, vol. 209, no. 2, 2006, pp. 439-47. |
| Mercado ML, Amenta AR, Hagiwara H, Rafii MS, Lechner BE, Owens RT, McQuillan DJ, Froehner SC, Fallon JR. "Biglycan regulates the expression and sarcolemmal localization of dystrobrevin, syntrophin, and nNOS." The FASEB Journal, vol. 20, no. 10, 2006, pp. 1724-6. |
| Zhang J, Venkataramani S, Xu H, Song YK, Song HK, Palmore GT, Fallon J, Nurmikko AV. "Combined topographical and chemical micropatterns for templating neuronal networks." Biomaterials, vol. 27, no. 33, 2006, pp. 5734-9. |
| Taylor AB, Fallon JR. "Dendrites contain a spacing pattern." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 26, no. 4, 2006, pp. 1154-63. |
| Lechner BE, Lim JH, Mercado ML, Fallon JR. "Developmental regulation of biglycan expression in muscle and tendon." Muscle & nerve, vol. 34, no. 3, 2006, pp. 347-55. |
| Campagna, J.A., Fallon, J. "Lipid rafts are involved in C95 (4,8) agrin fragment-induced acetylcholine receptor clustering." Neuroscience, vol. 138, no. 1, 2006, pp. 123-132. |
| Christie, S.B., Schwob, J., Fallon, J.R. "Presynaptic and axonal expression of the Fragile X mental retardation protein in the developing and regenerating CNS." International journal of developmental neuroscience : the official journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience, vol. 24, no. 8, 2006, pp. 480. |
| Lim JH, Booker AB, Luo T, Williams T, Furuta Y, Lagutin O, Oliver G, Sargent TD, Fallon JR. "AP-2alpha selectively regulates fragile X mental retardation-1 gene transcription during embryonic development." Human molecular genetics, vol. 14, no. 14, 2005, pp. 2027-34. |
| Lim JH, Luo T, Sargent TD, Fallon JR. "Developmental expression of Xenopus fragile X mental retardation-1 gene." The International journal of developmental biology, vol. 49, no. 8, 2005, pp. 981-4. |
| Lim JH, Booker AB, Fallon JR. "Regulating fragile X gene transcription in the brain and beyond." Journal of cellular physiology, vol. 205, no. 1, 2005, pp. 237-47. |
| Casar JC, McKechnie BA, Fallon JR, Young MF, Brandan E. "Transient up-regulation of biglycan during skeletal muscle regeneration: delayed fiber growth along with decorin increase in biglycan-deficient mice." Developmental Biology, vol. 268, no. 2, 2004, pp. 358-71. |
| Gabel LA, Won S, Kawai H, McKinney M, Tartakoff AM, Fallon JR. "Visual experience regulates transient expression and dendritic localization of fragile X mental retardation protein." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 24, no. 47, 2004, pp. 10579-83. |
| Megeath LJ, Kirber MT, Hopf C, Hoch W, Fallon JR. "Calcium-dependent maintenance of agrin-induced postsynaptic specializations." Neuroscience, vol. 122, no. 3, 2003, pp. 659-68. |
| Salloway S, Gur T, Berzin T, Tavares R, Zipser B, Correia S, Hovanesian V, Fallon J, Kuo-Leblanc V, Glass D, Hulette C, Rosenberg C, Vitek M, Stopa E. "Effect of APOE genotype on microvascular basement membrane in Alzheimer's disease." Journal of the Neurological Sciences, vol. 203-204, 2002, pp. 183-7. |
| Wells DG, Dong X, Quinlan EM, Huang YS, Bear MF, Richter JD, Fallon JR. "A role for the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element in NMDA receptor-regulated mRNA translation in neurons." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 21, no. 24, 2001, pp. 9541-8. |
| Snyder EM, Philpot BD, Huber KM, Dong X, Fallon JR, Bear MF. "Internalization of ionotropic glutamate receptors in response to mGluR activation." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 4, no. 11, 2001, pp. 1079-85. |
| Hagiwara H, Fallon JR. "Shaping membrane architecture: agrins in and out of the synapse." The Journal of cell biology, vol. 153, no. 7, 2001, pp. F39-42. |
| Berzin TM, Zipser BD, Rafii MS, Kuo-Leblanc V, Yancopoulos GD, Glass DJ, Fallon JR, Stopa EG. "Agrin and microvascular damage in Alzheimer's disease." Neurobiology of aging, vol. 21, no. 2, 2000, pp. 349-55. |
| Fallon JR. "Building inhibitory synapses: exchange factors getting into the act? [ comment]." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 3, no. 1, 2000, pp. 5-6. |
| Wells DG, Fallon JR. "Dendritic mRNA translation: deciphering the uncoded." Nature Neuroscience, vol. 3, no. 11, 2000, pp. 1062-4. |
| Wells DG, Fallon JR. "In search of molecular memory: experience-driven protein synthesis." Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, vol. 57, no. 10, 2000, pp. 1335-9. |
| Wells DG, Richter JD, Fallon JR. "Molecular mechanisms for activity-regulated protein synthesis in the synapto-dendritic compartment." Current opinion in neurobiology, vol. 10, no. 1, 2000, pp. 132-7. |
| Bowe MA, Mendis DB, Fallon JR. "The small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycan biglycan binds to alpha-dystroglycan and is upregulated in dystrophic muscle." The Journal of cell biology, vol. 148, no. 4, 2000, pp. 801-10. |
| Donahue JE, Berzin TM, Rafii MS, Glass DJ, Yancopoulos GD, Fallon JR, Stopa EG. "Agrin in Alzheimer's disease: altered solubility and abnormal distribution within microvasculature and brain parenchyma." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 96, no. 11, 1999, pp. 6468-72. |
| Wells DG, McKechnie BA, Kelkar S, Fallon JR. "Neurotrophins regulate agrin-induced postsynaptic differentiation." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 96, no. 3, 1999, pp. 1112-7. |
| Abbott MA, Wells DG, Fallon JR. "The insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate p58/53 and the insulin receptor are components of CNS synapses." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 19, no. 17, 1999, pp. 7300-8. |
| Lisman JE, Fallon JR. "What maintains memories?." Science, vol. 283, no. 5400, 1999, pp. 339-40. |
| Wu L, Wells D, Tay J, Mendis D, Abbott MA, Barnitt A, Quinlan E, Heynen A, Fallon JR, Richter JD. "CPEB-mediated cytoplasmic polyadenylation and the regulation of experience-dependent translation of alpha-CaMKII mRNA at synapses." Neuron, vol. 21, no. 5, 1998, pp. 1129-39. |
| Nastuk MA, Davis S, Yancopoulos GD, Fallon JR. "Expression cloning and characterization of NSIST, a novel sulfotransferase expressed by a subset of neurons and postsynaptic targets." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 18, no. 18, 1998, pp. 7167-77. |
| Megeath LJ, Fallon JR. "Intracellular calcium regulates agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor clustering." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 18, no. 2, 1998, pp. 672-8. |
| Garcia EP, Mehta S, Blair LA, Wells DG, Shang J, Fukushima T, Fallon JR, Garner CC, Marshall J. "SAP90 binds and clusters kainate receptors causing incomplete desensitization." Neuron, vol. 21, no. 4, 1998, pp. 727-39. |
| Deyst KA, McKechnie BA, Fallon JR. "The role of alternative splicing in regulating agrin binding to muscle cells." Brain research. Developmental brain research, vol. 110, no. 2, 1998, pp. 185-91. |
| O'Toole JJ, Deyst KA, Bowe MA, Nastuk MA, McKechnie BA, Fallon JR. "Alternative splicing of agrin regulates its binding to heparin alpha-dystroglycan, and the cell surface." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 93, no. 14, 1996, pp. 7369-74. |
| Wells DG, Fallon JR. "The state of the union. Neuromuscular junction." Current Biology, vol. 6, no. 9, 1996, pp. 1073-5. |
| Deyst KA, Ma J, Fallon JR. "Agrin: toward a molecular understanding of synapse regeneration." Neurosurgery, vol. 37, no. 1, 1995, pp. 71-7. |
| Froehner SC, Fallon JR. "Neurobiology. Synapses take the rap." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 377, no. 6546, 1995, pp. 195-6. |
| Deyst KA, Bowe MA, Leszyk JD, Fallon JR. "The alpha-dystroglycan-beta-dystroglycan complex. Membrane organization and relationship to an agrin receptor." Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 270, no. 43, 1995, pp. 25956-9. |
| Bowe MA, Fallon JR. "The role of agrin in synapse formation." Annual Review of Neuroscience, vol. 18, 1995, pp. 443-62. |
| Fallon JR, Hall ZW. "Building synapses: agrin and dystroglycan stick together." Trends in Neurosciences, vol. 17, no. 11, 1994, pp. 469-73. |
| Bowe MA, Deyst KA, Leszyk JD, Fallon JR. "Identification and purification of an agrin receptor from Torpedo postsynaptic membranes: a heteromeric complex related to the dystroglycans." Neuron, vol. 12, no. 5, 1994, pp. 1173-80. |
| Nastuk MA, Fallon JR. "Agrin and the molecular choreography of synapse formation." Trends in Neurosciences, vol. 16, no. 2, 1993, pp. 72-6. |
| Lieth E, Fallon JR. "Muscle agrin: neural regulation and localization at nerve-induced acetylcholine receptor clusters." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 13, no. 6, 1993, pp. 2509-14. |
| Ma J, Nastuk MA, McKechnie BA, Fallon JR. "The agrin receptor. Localization in the postsynaptic membrane, interaction with agrin, and relationship to the acetylcholine receptor." Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 268, no. 33, 1993, pp. 25108-17. |
| Lieth E, Cardasis CA, Fallon JR. "Muscle-derived agrin in cultured myotubes: expression in the basal lamina and at induced acetylcholine receptor clusters." Developmental Biology, vol. 149, no. 1, 1992, pp. 41-54. |
| Fallon JR. "Rounding up acetylcholine receptors." Current Biology, vol. 1, no. 4, 1991, pp. 265-7. |
| Nastuk MA, Lieth E, Ma JY, Cardasis CA, Moynihan EB, McKechnie BA, Fallon JR. "The putative agrin receptor binds ligand in a calcium-dependent manner and aggregates during agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor clustering." Neuron, vol. 7, no. 5, 1991, pp. 807-18. |
| Fallon JR, Gelfman CE. "Agrin-related molecules are concentrated at acetylcholine receptor clusters in normal and aneural developing muscle." The Journal of cell biology, vol. 108, no. 4, 1989, pp. 1527-35. |
| Magill C, Reist NE, Fallon JR, Nitkin RM, Wallace BG, McMahan UJ. "Agrin." Progress in brain research, vol. 71, 1987, pp. 391-6. |
| Nitkin RM, Smith MA, Magill C, Fallon JR, Yao YM, Wallace BG, McMahan UJ. "Identification of agrin, a synaptic organizing protein from Torpedo electric organ." The Journal of cell biology, vol. 105, no. 6 Pt 1, 1987, pp. 2471-8. |
| Fallon JR, Nitkin RM, Reist NE, Wallace BG, McMahan UJ. "Acetylcholine receptor-aggregating factor is similar to molecules concentrated at neuromuscular junctions." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 315, no. 6020, 1985, pp. 571-4. |
| Wallace BG, Nitkin RM, Reist NE, Fallon JR, Moayeri NN, McMahan UJ. "Aggregates of acetylcholinesterase induced by acetylcholine receptor-aggregating factor." J. Geophys. Res., vol. 315, no. 6020, 1985, pp. 574-7. |
| Fallon JR. "Neurite guidance by non-neuronal cells in culture: preferential outgrowth of peripheral neurites on glial as compared to nonglial cell surfaces." Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 5, no. 12, 1985, pp. 3169-77. |
| Fallon JR. "Preferential outgrowth of central nervous system neurites on astrocytes and Schwann cells as compared with nonglial cells in vitro." The Journal of cell biology, vol. 100, no. 1, 1985, pp. 198-207. |
My laboratory works in both basic and translational science. On the translational front I have worked for the past 10 years developing a protein therapeutic, recombinant biglycan for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and other neuromuscular disorders. As part of this effort I founded Tivorsan Pharmaceuticals, which raised over
$15M from private, foundation and Federal sources, including a $6.4M UO1 award. I Chaired the SAB, represented Tivorsan in investor meeting and at a Pre-IND meeting with the FDA. I was involved in all aspects of recombinant biglycan development including designing cell culture and in vivo assays, design of the molecule, and providing critical support and guidance for CMC, toxicology and clinical trial planning that was carried out my CROs. I am an inventor on 10 patents. In addition to our work on therapy development, we are studying a novel signaling pathway that we have discovered: the role of MuSK as a BMP co-receptor (Yilmaz et al., 2016). In unpublished work we have linked this pathway to: 1) regulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis and 2) muscle stem (satellite) cells. My lab also discovered a novel RNA granule in axons of the mature mammalian CNS that we term the Fragile X granule (FXG). Finally, we have embarked on a major collaborative effort to identify and characterize novel suppressors of fALS. In particular, we are developing new and highly sensitive behavioral assays (Automated Continuous Behavioral Monitoring; ACBM) for revealing early phenotypes in knock-in fALS mouse models (White et al., 2018).
R41 AG073144-01A1. “Promoting adult hippocampal neurogenesis in Alzheimer's Disease using antibody-based therapy” 9/2021 – 8/2022. Role: PI
R21 NS112743-01A1. “Next generation machine vision for automated behavioral phenotyping of knock-in ALS- FTD mouse models”. 4/1/20-3/31/22l. J. Fallon, PI. Goal is to use machine learning to develop a novel automated behavioral assay for mouse models of neurodegenerative disease. Role: Co-PI
Edward N. & Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation Awards Program in Alzheimer's Disease Drug Discovery Research. “Promoting Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis as an Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy” 2/1/2020-1/31/2022; J. Fallon, PI; Ashely Webb, Co-PI. Goal is to develop an ASO-mediated therapeutic to enhance neurogenesis in mouse AD models.
NIH 5P20GM121298-02. “COBRE for Reproductive Health” 4/2019 – 3/2022. Role: Mentor to Beatrice Lechner, M.D. Goal is to mentor Beatrice Lechner, an early career clinician scientist.
NIH R21 AG073743: “Promoting adult hippocampal neurogenesis in Alzheimer's Disease Models”. Role: Co-PI with A. Webb. 7/1/21 – 6/30/23.
PMID: 21187385
PMID: 22396407
PMID: 22522693
PMID: 25109237
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | PhD | University of Pennsylvania |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | Stanford University School of Medicine, Neurobiology | 1983-1986 | Stanford, CA, USA |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | University College London, Neurobiology | 1980-1983 | London, Great Britain |
1973- Honors in Biology, Colgate University
1980-83 National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow, National Research Service Award
1983-84 Dysautonomia Foundation, Postdoctoral Fellow,
1989-91 March of Dimes, Basil O'Connor Starter Research Scholar Award
2003- Associate Editor, Journal of Cellular Physiology
2004- Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Fragile X Research Foundation (FRAXA)
2006- Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Charley's Fund
2008 EndDuchenne Prize, Parents Project Muscular Dystrophy
2013 Editorial Board, Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Serre, Thomas | Thomas J. Watson, Sr. Professor of Science and Professor of Computer Science., Professor of Computer Science |
| Webb, Ashley | Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry |
| NEUR 1740 - The Diseased Brain: Mechanisms of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders |
| NEUR 1930G - Disease, Mechanism, Therapy: Harnessing Basic Biology for Therapeutic Development |
