Deborah Ferrington, Ph.D.

Ophthalmic Research

Deborah Ferrington, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Departments of Ophthalmology and Biochemistry,
Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Office Phone (612) 624-8267,
Lab Phone (612) 626-7640
Fax (612) 626-0781
ferri013@umn.edu

Dr. Ferrington received her B.S. degree in Biological Sciences in 1978 and her M.Ed degree in Secondary Science Education in 1980 from the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1997. Dr. Ferrington did her post-doctoral studies at the University of Kansas. This research was focused on understanding how aging affects the degradation of oxidized proteins. Dr. Ferrington joined the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota in 1999. She also holds graduate faculty appointments in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics and in the Gerontology Minor Program.  She holds the 2003-2004 Fesler-Lampert Chair in Aging Studies.  

Areas of specialization/Research Interest:  

Dr. Ferrington's research is focused on defining the cellular mechanisms that are involved in the retinal degeneration that accompanies aging and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).  The long-term goal of this research is to provide a sound, scientific basis for therapeutic intervention that either prevents or mitigates the progression of AMD.

Publications

Ethen, C.M., Feng, X., Olsen, T.W., Ferrington, D.A.  Declines in arrestin and rhodopsin in the macula with progression of age-related macular degeneration.  Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 46(3):769-75, 2005   PMID: 15728529

Ferrington, D.A., Yao, Q., Squier, T.C. and Bigelow, D.J. Comparable levels of Ca-ATPase inhibition by phospholamban in slow-twitch skeletal and cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. Biochemistry, 41(44):13289-96, 2002.

Bennaars-Eiden, A., Higgins, L., Hertzel, A.V, Kapphahn, R.J., Ferrington, D.A. and Bernlohr, D.A.  Covalent modification of epithelial fatty acid binding protein by 4-hydroxynonenal in vitro and in vivo: Evidence for a role in antioxidant biology. J. Biol. Chem. 277: 50693-703, 2002.

Louie, J.L., Kapphahn, R.J. and Ferrington, D.A. Proteasome function and protein oxidation in the aged retina.  Experimental Eye Research 75: 271-284, 2002.

Thompson, L.V., Lowe, D.A., Ferrington, D.A., and Thomas, D.D. Electron paramagnetic resonance: A high-resolution tool for muscle physiology. Exercise Sport Science Review 29: 3-6, 2001.

Ferrington, D.A., Sun, H., Murray, K.K., Costa, J., Williams, T.D., Bigelow, D.J. and Squier, T.C. Selective degradation of oxidized calmodulin by the 20S proteasome. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 937-943, 2001.

Ferrington, D.A., Krainev, A.G., and Bigelow, D.J.  Altered turnover of calcium regulatory proteins of the sarcoplasmic reticulum in aged skeletal muscle.  J. Biol. Chem. 273: 5885-5891, 1998. 

Ferrington, D.A., Jones, T.E., Quin, Z, Miller-Schlyer, M., Squier, T.C., and Bigelow, D.J.  Decreased conformational stability of the sarcoplasmic reticulum CA-ATPase in aged skeletal muscle.  Biochem. Biophys Acta 1330: 233-247, 1997.