Brian S. McKay, PhD

Professor, Ophthalmology and Vision Science
Professor, Physiology
Degrees: 
PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin, 1995
Research Interests: 

Dr. Brian S. McKay received his Bachelor’s degree in biology from University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee then completed his PhD at the Medical College of Wisconsin where he studied cell biology related to retinal diseases. Dr. McKay conducted his postdoctoral training in protein chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, CA. Upon finishing his training, Dr. McKay joined the faculty at Duke University in Durham, NC, where he developed his laboratory around projects addressing the biology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Dr. McKay conducts basic research towards understanding retinal degenerations and the molecular origins of glaucoma, asking the key questions necessary for successful development of cell based therapies. His collaborations with the vitreoretinal surgical staff are central to the projects success. Research is conducted in RPE transplantation methods for AMD therapy, and protein expression in glaucoma. In collaboration with W. Daniel Stamer, PhD, he is examining the structure and function of the myocilin to determine why the specific trait of glaucomatous disease is passed on through a nearly ubiquitous protein.

Publications

In Press

Figueroa, A. G., and B. S. McKay, "GPR143 signaling and retinal degeneration", Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology: Springer Publications, In Press.

2019

McKay, B. S., "Pigmentation and vision: is GPR143 in control?", J Neurosci Res, vol. 97, issue 1, pp. 77-87, 2019 Jan. PMCID: PMC6235735  PMID: 29761529

2018

Nguyen, T-V. V., M. Hayes, J. C. Zbesko, J. B. Frye, N. R. Congrove, N. P. Belichenko, B. S. McKay, F. M. Longo, and K. P. Doyle, "Alzheimer's associated amyloid and tau deposition co-localizes with a homeostatic myelin repair pathway in two mouse models of post-stroke mixed dementia.", Acta Neuropathol Commun, vol. 6, issue 1, pp. 100, 2018 Sep 24. PMCID: PMC6154927  PMID: 30249297
McKay, B. S., R. R. Allingham, and W. D. Stamer, "Is there a final common pathway in POAG?", Glaucoma Research and Clinical Advances: 2018 to 2020 - Google Books [Internet]: Kugler Publications, pp. 99-110, 2018.
Chung, A. G., J. B. Frye, J. C. Zbesko, E. Constantopoulos, M. Hayes, A. G. Figueroa, D. A. Becktel, A. W Day, J. P. Konhilas, B. S. McKay, et al., "Liquefaction of the Brain following Stroke Shares a Similar Molecular and Morphological Profile with Atherosclerosis and Mediates Secondary Neurodegeneration in an Osteopontin-Dependent Mechanism.", eNeuro, vol. 5, issue 5, 2018 Sep-Oct. PMCID: PMC6223114  PMID: 30417081

2016

McKay, B. S., and S. G. Schwartz, "Pigmentation and macular degeneration: is there a role for GPR143?", J Ocul Pharmacol Ther, vol. 32, issue 1, pp. 3-4, 2016 Jan-Feb.
Brilliant, M. H., K. Vaziri, T. B. Connor, S. G. Schwartz, J. J. Carroll, C. A. McCarty, S. J. Schrodi, S. J. Hebbring, K. S. Kishor, H. W. Flynn, et al., "Mining retrospective data for virtual prospective drug repurposing: L-DOPA and age-related macular degeneration.", Am J Med, vol. 129, issue 3, pp. 292-8, 2016 Mar. PMCID: PMC4841631  PMID: 26524704

2014

C Summers, G., J. E. Connett, A. M. Holleschau, J. L. Anderson, I. De Becker, B. S. McKay, and M. H. Brilliant, "Does levodopa improve vision in albinism? Results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial.", Clin Exp Ophthalmol, vol. 42, issue 8, pp. 713-21, 2014 Nov. PMCID: PMC4169362  PMID: 24641678
Locke, C. J., N. R. Congrove, M. W Dismuke, T. J. Bowen, D. W Stamer, and B. S. McKay, "Controlled exosome release from the retinal pigment epithelium in situ.", Exp Eye Res, vol. 129, pp. 1-4, 2014 Dec.

2013

McKay, B. S., N. R. Congrove, A. A. Johnson, M. W Dismuke, T. J. Bowen, and D. W Stamer, "A role for myocilin in receptor-mediated endocytosis.", PLoS One, vol. 8, issue 12, pp. e82301, 2013. PMCID: PMC3867354 

2012

Falk, T., N. R. Congrove, S. Zhang, A. D. McCourt, S. J. Sherman, and B. S. McKay, "PEDF and VEGF-A output from human retinal pigment epithelial cells grown on novel microcarriers.", J Biomed Biotechnol, vol. 2012, pp. 278932, 2012. PMCID: PMC3323925 
W Dismuke, M., B. S. McKay, and D. W Stamer, "Myocilin, a component of a membrane-associated protein complex driven by a homologous Q-SNARE domain.", Biochemistry, vol. 51, issue 17, pp. 3606-13, 2012 May 01. PMCID: PMC3518843  PMID: 22463803

2008

Lopez, V. M., C. L. Decatur, D. W Stamer, R. M. Lynch, and B. S. McKay, "L-DOPA is an endogenous ligand for OA1.", PLoS Biol, vol. 6, issue 9, pp. e236, 2008 Sep 30. PMCID: PMC2553842  PMID: 18828673

2007

Perkumas, K. M., E. A. Hoffman, B. S. McKay, R. R. Allingham, and W. D. Stamer, "Myocilin-associated exosomes in human ocular samples.", Exp Eye Res, vol. 84, issue 1, pp. 209-12, 2007 Jan. PMCID: PMC1780107  PMID: 17094967
Bakall, B., R. A. Radu, J. B. Stanton, J. M. Burke, B. S. McKay, C. Wadelius, R. F. Mullins, E. M. Stone, G. H. Travis, and A. D. Marmorstein, "Enhanced accumulation of A2E in individuals homozygous or heterozygous for mutations in BEST1 (VMD2).", Exp Eye Res, vol. 85, issue 1, pp. 34-43, 2007 Jul. PMID: 17477921
Yu, L., U. Kelly, J. N. Ebright, G. Malek, P. Saloupis, D. W. Rickman, B. S. McKay, V. Y. Arshavsky, and C. Bowes Rickman, "Oxidative stress-induced expression and modulation of Phosphatase of Regenerating Liver-1 (PRL-1) in mammalian retina.", Biochim Biophys Acta, vol. 1773, issue 9, pp. 1473-82, 2007 Sep. PMCID: PMC2118714  PMID: 17673310

2006

Rak, D. J., K. M. Hardy, G. J. Jaffe, and B. S. McKay, "Ca++-switch induction of RPE differentiation.", Exp Eye Res, vol. 82, issue 4, pp. 648-56, 2006 Apr. PMID: 16289163
Conley, S. M., B. S. McKay, J. A Gandolfi, and D. W Stamer, "Alterations in human trabecular meshwork cell homeostasis by selenium.", Exp Eye Res, vol. 82, issue 4, pp. 637-47, 2006 Apr. PMID: 16289047
McKay, B. S., B. Goodman, T. Falk, and S. J. Sherman, "Retinal pigment epithelial cell transplantation could provide trophic support in Parkinson's disease: results from an in vitro model system.", Exp Neurol, vol. 201, issue 1, pp. 234-43, 2006 Sep. PMID: 16764861
Stamer, W. D., K. M. Perkumas, E. A. Hoffman, B. C. Roberts, D. L. Epstein, and B. S. McKay, "Coiled-coil targeting of myocilin to intracellular membranes.", Exp Eye Res, vol. 83, issue 6, pp. 1386-95, 2006 Dec. PMID: 16973161
McLaughlin, P. J., Q. Chen, M. Horiguchi, B. C. Starcher, B. J Stanton, T. J. Broekelmann, A. D. Marmorstein, B. McKay, R. Mecham, T. Nakamura, et al., "Targeted disruption of fibulin-4 abolishes elastogenesis and causes perinatal lethality in mice.", Mol Cell Biol, vol. 26, issue 5, pp. 1700-9, 2006 Mar. PMCID: PMC1430262  PMID: 16478991

2005

Hoffman, E. A., S. M. Conley, D. W Stamer, and B. S. McKay, "Barriers to productive transfection of trabecular meshwork cells.", Mol Vis, vol. 11, pp. 869-75, 2005 Oct 26. PMID: 16270026
Hardy, K. M., E. A. Hoffman, P. Gonzalez, B. S. McKay, and D. W Stamer, "Extracellular trafficking of myocilin in human trabecular meshwork cells.", J Biol Chem, vol. 280, issue 32, pp. 28917-26, 2005 Aug 12. PMID: 15944158

2004

Yang, P., B. S. McKay, J. B. Allen, and G. J. Jaffe, "Effect of NF-kappa B inhibition on TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in human RPE cells.", Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, vol. 45, issue 7, pp. 2438-46, 2004 Jul. PMID: 15223828

2003

Yang, P., B. S. McKay, J. B. Allen, W. L. Roberts, and G. J. Jaffe, "Effect of mutant IkappaB on cytokine-induced activation of NF-kappaB in cultured human RPE cells.", Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, vol. 44, issue 3, pp. 1339-47, 2003 Mar. PMID: 12601067

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