Prof. Luis R. Cruz Cruz

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Drexel University
College of Arts and Sciences
Physics
Associate ProfessorAppointed: 2008

Mailing Address

Department of Physics
Drexel University
3141 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
United States

Contact Information

ccruz@drexel.edu

Qualifications

Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Physics, 1994.
B.M., Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, Piano, 1989.
M.S., University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Physics, 1989.
B.S., University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Physics, 1985.

Expertise and Research Interests

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Other Expertise

I study, using computational molecular dynamics, the folding of the decapeptide fragment of the amyloid beta-peptide, related to Alzheimer's disease (AD). I consider the "wild-type" as well as mutations implicated in early-onset AD.

I am also starting to study discrete lattice boltzmann fluid models applied to cell fractionators in biophysics.

Future Research

Future research aims to: bridge the loss of organization in neuronal positions to cognitive loss; related dynamics of folding of the amyloid beta-peptide to AD.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Anatomy, Applied Physics, Biological Modeling, Biophysics, Chemical Physics, College Students, Computational Biology, Computational Chemistry, Computational Neuroscience, Computational Physics, Computer Algorithms, Computer Modeling, Curriculum Development, Graduate Education, High School Education, Junior High School Education, Middle School Education, Minority Education, Molecular Dynamics, Nonlinear Dynamics, Pattern Recognition, Physical Biology, Physical Chemistry, Physics, Protein Folding, Protein Structure, Structural Biology, Structural Chemistry, Undergraduate Education.

Additional Terms:

Cognitive Decay, Microcolumns, Molecular Dynamics, Protein Folding.

Languages

(Reading, Writing, Speaking)

English: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)
Spanish: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)

Previous Positions

2007-2008, Research Associate Professor, Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences, Physics
2005-2007, Senior Research Associate, Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences
1994-2005, Research Associate, Boston University, College of Arts and Sciences
1989-1994, Research Assistant, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1985-1989, Research Assistant, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Natural Sciences, Physics

Publications

  • Inglis A, Cruz L, Roe DL, Stanley HE, Rosene DL, Urbanc B (Jun 2008) Automated identification of neurons and their locations., Journal of microscopy, 230 (Pt 3), 339-52 Abstract
  • Cruz L, Urbanc B, Inglis A, Rosene DL, Stanley HE (Apr 2008) Generating a model of the three-dimensional spatial distribution of neurons using density maps., NeuroImage, 40 (3), 1105-15 Abstract
  • Yun S, Urbanc B, Cruz L, Bitan G, Teplow DB, Stanley HE (Jun 2007) Role of electrostatic interactions in amyloid beta-protein (A beta) oligomer formation: a discrete molecular dynamics study., Biophysical journal, 92 (11), 4064-77 Abstract
  • Urbanc B, Cruz L, Teplow DB, Stanley HE (Dec 2006) Computer simulations of Alzheimer's amyloid beta-protein folding and assembly., Current Alzheimer research, 3 (5), 493-504 Abstract
  • Teplow DB, Lazo ND, Bitan G, Bernstein S, Wyttenbach T, Bowers MT, Baumketner A, Shea JE, Urbanc B, Cruz L, Borreguero J, Stanley HE (Sep 2006) Elucidating amyloid beta-protein folding and assembly: A multidisciplinary approach., Accounts of chemical research, 39 (9), 635-45 Abstract
  • Urbanc B, Borreguero JM, Cruz L, Stanley HE (2006) Ab initio discrete molecular dynamics approach to protein folding and aggregation., Methods in enzymology, 412, 314-38 Abstract
  • Cruz L, Urbanc B, Borreguero JM, Lazo ND, Teplow DB, Stanley HE (Dec 2005) Solvent and mutation effects on the nucleation of amyloid beta-protein folding., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102 (51), 18258-63 Abstract
  • Cruz L, Buldyrev SV, Peng S, Roe DL, Urbanc B, Stanley HE, Rosene DL (Feb 2005) A statistically based density map method for identification and quantification of regional differences in microcolumnarity in the monkey brain., Journal of neuroscience methods, 141 (2), 321-32 Abstract
  • Urbanc B, Cruz L, Yun S, Buldyrev SV, Bitan G, Teplow DB, Stanley HE (Dec 2004) In silico study of amyloid beta-protein folding and oligomerization., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101 (50), 17345-50 Abstract
  • Cruz L, Roe DL, Urbanc B, Cabral H, Stanley HE, Rosene DL (Nov 2004) Age-related reduction in microcolumnar structure in area 46 of the rhesus monkey correlates with behavioral decline., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101 (45), 15846-51 Abstract
  • Urbanc B, Cruz L, Ding F, Sammond D, Khare S, Buldyrev SV, Stanley HE, Dokholyan NV (Oct 2004) Molecular dynamics simulation of amyloid beta dimer formation., Biophysical journal, 87 (4), 2310-21 Abstract
  • Peng S, Ding F, Urbanc B, Buldyrev SV, Cruz L, Stanley HE, Dokholyan NV (Apr 2004) Discrete molecular dynamics simulations of peptide aggregation., Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics, 69 (4 Pt 1), 041908 Abstract
  • Peng S, Urbanc B, Cruz L, Hyman BT, Stanley HE (Apr 2003) Neuron recognition by parallel Potts segmentation., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100 (7), 3847-52 Abstract
  • Urbanc B, Cruz L, Le R, Sanders J, Ashe KH, Duff K, Stanley HE, Irizarry MC, Hyman BT (Oct 2002) Neurotoxic effects of thioflavin S-positive amyloid deposits in transgenic mice and Alzheimer's disease., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 99 (22), 13990-5 Abstract
  • Le R, Cruz L, Urbanc B, Knowles RB, Hsiao-Ashe K, Duff K, Irizarry MC, Stanley HE, Hyman BT (Aug 2001) Plaque-induced abnormalities in neurite geometry in transgenic models of Alzheimer disease: implications for neural system disruption., Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology, 60 (8), 753-8 Abstract
  • Buldyrev SV, Cruz L, Gomez-Isla T, Gomez-Tortosa E, Havlin S, Le R, Stanley HE, Urbanc B, Hyman BT (May 2000) Description of microcolumnar ensembles in association cortex and their disruption in Alzheimer and Lewy body dementias., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 97 (10), 5039-43 Abstract
  • Urbanc B, Cruz L, Buldyrev SV, Havlin S, Hyman BT, Stanley HE (Aug 1999) Dynamic feedback in an aggregation-disaggregation model., Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics, 60 (2 Pt B), 2120-6 Abstract
  • Knowles RB, Wyart C, Buldyrev SV, Cruz L, Urbanc B, Hasselmo ME, Stanley HE, Hyman BT (Apr 1999) Plaque-induced neurite abnormalities: implications for disruption of neural networks in Alzheimer's disease., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 96 (9), 5274-9 Abstract
  • Urbanc B, Cruz L, Buldyrev SV, Havlin S, Irizarry MC, Stanley HE, Hyman BT (Mar 1999) Dynamics of plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease., Biophysical journal, 76 (3), 1330-4 Abstract
  • Cruz L, Urbanc B, Buldyrev SV, Christie R, Gómez-Isla T, Havlin S, McNamara M, Stanley HE, Hyman BT (Jul 1997) Aggregation and disaggregation of senile plaques in Alzheimer disease., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 94 (14), 7612-6 Abstract

Profile Details

Last Verified: 10/20/2008

COS Expertise ID #1308923
Reference this profile directly: http://myprofile.cos.com/lrccruz