Isaac Pessah, Ph.D.

Isaac Pessah

Member, Environmental Health Sciences Center

Dr. Isaac Pessah’s research focuses on the broad area of molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating local Ca2+ signaling in muscle, neurons, and immune cells and how gene-environment interactions influence susceptibility in autism and related disorders.

Position at UC Davis

  • Associate Dean and Professor, Molecular Biosciences, VM

Areas of Expertise

  • Neuropharmacology and Toxicology
  • Cardiovascular pharmacology and toxicology
  • Gene by environment interactions
  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Ryanodine receptors and Ca2+ signaling

Major Research Papers

Lee JH, Perez-Flores MC, Park S, Kim HJ, Chen Y, Kang M, Kersigo J, Choi J, Thai PN, Woltz R, Perez-Flores DC, Perkins G, Sihn CR, Trinh P, Zhang XD, Sirish P, Dong Y, Feng WW, Pessah IN, Dixon RE, Sokolowski B, Fritzsch B, Chiamvimonvat N, Yamoah EN. The Piezo channel is central to the mechano-sensitive channel complex in the mammalian inner ear. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2023 Jul 12:rs.3.rs-2287052. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2287052/v1. PMID: 37502846; PMCID: PMC10371147.

Feng W, Lopez JR, Antrobus S, Zheng J, Uryash A, Dong Y, Beqollari D, Bannister RA, Hopkins PM, Beam KG, Allen PD, Pessah IN. Putative malignant hyperthermia mutation CaV1.1-R174W is insufficient to trigger a fulminant response to halothane or confer heat stress intolerance. J Biol Chem. 2023 Aug;299(8):104992. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104992. Epub 2023 Jun 29. PMID: 37392848; PMCID: PMC10413282.

Kim DS, Pessah IN, Santana CM, Purnell B, Li R, Buchanan GF, Rumbeiha WK. Investigations into hydrogen sulfide-induced suppression of neuronal activity in vivo and calcium dysregulation in vitro. Toxicol Sci. 2023 Mar 6;192(2):247–64. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad022. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36882182; PMCID: PMC10109532.

Yaghoobi B, Miller GW, Holland EB, Li X, Harvey D, Li S, Lehmler HJ, Pessah IN, Lein PJ. Ryanodine receptor-active non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls cause neurobehavioral deficits in larval zebrafish. Front Toxicol. 2022 Oct 6;4:947795. doi: 10.3389/ftox.2022.947795. PMID: 36278027; PMCID: PMC9582434.

Education and Degree(s)
  • Ph.D., Toxicology, University of Maryland, 1983
  • M.S. Toxicology, University of Maryland, 1981
  • B.S., Biological Sciences, Cornell University, 1977
Honors and Awards
  • Elected AAAS Fellow, AAAS (2018)
  • NIH Honor (2012)
  • Neurobehavioral Toxicology Society's Elsevier Distinguished Lectureship presented at their June 2011 meeting in San Diego, CA (2011)
  • Cure Autism Now, Environmental Innovator Award (Inaugural) (2006-2008)
  • Larry L. Hillblom Endowed Chair in Developmental Disorders in Children (nominated) (2002)
  • Pfizer Award for Research Excellence (1997)
  • NIH First Award (1988-1993)
  • Recipient of USDA, Predoctoral Fellowship (1982-1983)
  • Sea Grant Predoctoral Research Grant, University of Maryland, College park, MD (1980-1981)