Sanjay Khanna

Sanjay Khanna

PhD

Associate Professor

+65-6516 3665 (Office);
+65-6516 5882 (Lab)

+65-6778 8161

phsks@nus.edu.sg

Neurophysiology

ORCID

Affiliations

  • Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore
  • Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme

Research Areas of Interest:

  • Role of Septo-hippocampal Region in Pain
  • Hypothalamic regulation of hippocampal function
  • Circuit mechanism of dementia

Biography

Using a variety of techniques – such as electrophysiology, optogenetics, in vivo imaging, and molecular and cellular techniques – we have taken a system neurobiology approach to understand the circuit mechanisms and molecular events in medial septum that influence chronic pain, mood and learning and memory. We have observed, for example, that non-cholinergic, especially GABAergic neurons in the region modulate pain-induced aversive signalling in the forebrain while the neurokinin-1 receptor-septo-dorsal hippocampal cholinergic neuronal axis modulate pain-related signalling throughout the neural axis.  Our pioneering findings suggest that the medial septum is a nodal region in modulating affective-motivational component of chronic neuropathic pain.

Selected Publications

  1. Ng, S.Y., Ariffin, M.Z. and Khanna, S. Neurokinin receptor mechanisms in forebrain medial septum modulate nociception in the formalin model of inflammatory pain. Scientific Reports 11: 24358, 2021.
  2. Ibrahim, KM., Ariffin, MZ. and Khanna, S. Modulation of septo-hippocampal neural responses in anesthetized and behaving rats by septal AMPA receptor mechanisms. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 15: 663633, 2021.
  3. Ariffin, MZ., Ibrahim, KM., Lee, AT., Lee, RZ., Poon, SY., Thong, HK., Liu. EHC., Low, CM., Khanna, S. Forebrain medial septum sustains experimental neuropathic pain. Scientific Reports 8:11892, 2018.
  4. Liu, C., Zhang, CW., Lo, SQ., Ang, ST., Chew, KCM., Yu, D., Chai, BH., Tan, B., Tsang, F., Tai, YK., Tan, BWQ., Liang, MC., Tan, HT., Tang, JY., Lai, MKP., Chua, JJE., Chung, MCM5., Khanna, S., Lim, KL. and Soong TW. S-Nitrosylation of Divalent Metal Transporter 1 Enhances Iron Uptake to Mediate Loss of Dopaminergic Neurons and Motoric Deficit. Journal of Neuroscience 38: 8364-8377, 2018.
  5. Ariffin, MZ., Low, CM. and Khanna, S. Medial septum modulates cellular response induced in hippocampus on microinjection of cholinergic agonists into hypothalamic lateral supramammillary nucleus. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy 11: 79, 2017.
  6. Ang, ST., Ariffin, MZ and Khanna, S. The forebrain medial septal region and nociception. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 138:238-251, 2017.
  7. Teh, DBL., Prasad, A., Jiang, W., Ariffin, MZ., Khanna, S., Belorkar, A., Wong, L., Liu, X. and All, AH. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Neuroprotective aspects of Human Reactive Astrocytes induced by Interleukin 1β. Scientific Reports 7:13988, 2017.
  8. Ang, ST., Lee, ATH., Foo, FC., Ng, L., Low, C-M. and Khanna, S. GABAergic neurons of the medial septum play a nodal role in facilitation of nociception-induced affect. Scientific Reports 3:15419, 2015.
  9. Lee, ATH., Ariffin, MZ., Zhou, M., Ye, JZ., Moochhala, SM. and Khanna, S. Forebrain medial septum region facilitates nociception in a rat formalin model of inflammatory pain. Pain 152: 2528-2542, 2011.
  10. Ariffin, MZ., Jiang, F., Low, C.-M. and Khanna, S. Nicotinic receptor mechanism in supramammillary nucleus mediates physiological regulation of neural activity in dorsal hippocampal field CA1 of anaesthetized rat. Hippocampus 20: 852-865, 2010.
  11. Tai, S.K., Huang, F.-D., Moochhala, S. and Khanna, S. Hippocampal theta state in relation to formalin nociception. Pain 121: 29-42, 2006.

Awards

  • 2021 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2019/2020, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
  • 2017 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2015/2016, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
  • 2014 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2012/2013, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
  • 2013 Neuroscience Educator Award (from Singapore Neuroscience Association)
  • 2010 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2008/2009, Faculty of Science
  • 2009 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2007/2008, Faculty of Science
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