Cynthia Bearer, M.D./Ph.D.
MSTP Associate Director

Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience
Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and
Case Western Reserve University

Bio:
Cynthia Bearer is tenured Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neurosciences in the Department of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Bearer is board certified in both pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine. She is Director of the Neonatology Fellowship Training Program at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, and is Director of Medical Education of the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health at Case. Dr. Bearer received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University and her M.D. from the Johns Hopkins University.

Research Interest:  L1 cell adhesion molecule involvement in fetal alcohol syndrome and cerebral palsy

The major research focus in my laboratory is the effect of ethanol on the cell adhesion molecule, L1. The neuroanatomy of patients with defects in L1 is similar to that of patients with fetal alcohol syndrome, suggesting a role for L1 in the pathogenesis of the central nervous system abnormalities found in these patients. L1 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that promotes and regulates neuronal adhesion and neurite outgrowth by activation of signaling cascades and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. L1 mediates adhesion by binding homophilically to another L1 on an apposing neuron. Adhesion generates signal transduction involving src and MAP kinases, and possibly the fibroblast growth factor receptor. Inhibition of endocytosis blocks MAP kinase activation, and inhibition of MAP kinase inhibits neurite outgrowth. Interestingly, we found that L1 adhesion was unaffected by ethanol, while L1 mediated neurite outgrowth was inhibited at low physiologic concentrations of ethanol. We are currently investigating the effects of ethanol on L1 signal activation, and endocytosis.

Why Cynthia chose the MD/PhD: 

"I like solving puzzles but I also like having what I do be of use.  Rather than enjoying research (puzzle solving) for its own sake, I like to see the results of my research making a difference in the world.  I fell into a pathway of MD/Phd for which I could see no other choice."

Why a MSTP women’s group is so important: 

"I think that there are issues unique to women in the field.  The usual (we still are the major homemakers and caretakers of our families) but also I think women tend to not have the same mentoring relationships.  At least I didn’t.  I wasn’t clued into issues that my male counterparts seemed to instinctively know – how to promote oneself, how to negotiate for a bigger, better package, how to do what one wanted to do rather than doing what was expected of one.  I think these are still issues for women seeking to have academic positions."