Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Laboratory Ramaley N379 Department of Integrative Physiology University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 80309-0354 phone: 303-492-8154 fax: 303-492-0811

Research Interests

Our main focus is the neural mechanisms underlying stress-related physiology and emotional behavior with a focus on the role of serotonergic systems. Current projects address four main topics:

1. Mechanisms underlying control of acute and chronic anxiety states - with a focus on interactions among corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), CRF-related neuropeptides, and serotonergic systems.


2. Effects of peripheral immune activation on serotonergic systems, physiology, and emotional behavior.


3. Effects of thermal signals on serotonergic systems, physiology, and emotional behavior.


4. Effects of glucocorticoid hormones on serotonergic systems, physiology, and behavior.

See our detailed Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Laboratory web site for the most up-to-date information about current research and other happenings in the lab.

Personnel

• Director: Christopher A. Lowry, Ph.D.


• Post-doctoral Fellows: James Fox, M.A., Ph.D., Jodi Lukkes, Ph.D.


• Graduate Students: Mathew Arnold, B.A., Nina Donner, M.S., Patrick Hennessey, B.A., Evan Paul, B.A., Honors, Philip Siebler, B.A., David Smith, B.A., Christopher Stamper, B. A., Andrew Wacker, B.A.


• Professional Research Assistants:Kathleen Dady, B.A., Peter Hibl, B.A., Kyle Kelly, B.A., M.S., Jared Kopelman, B.A.


• Undergraduate Students: Nicholas Alsofrom, Lamya`a Dawud, Brandon Fields, Jared Heinze, Erika Kolisch, Kenneth Lowe, Sofia Mani, Allison Matti, Anthony Quach, Taylor Whittier.


• High School Student: Hannah Stobaugh.


• Collaborators: Tracy Bale, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; David Bentley, Ph.D., University of New South Wales, Australia; Serge Campeau, Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder; Alon Chen, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel; Monika Fleshner, Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder; Gina Forster, Ph.D., University of South Dakota; Anders Hay-Schmidt, Ph.D., The Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Rogelio Hernandez-Pando, Ph.D., Instituto Nacional de Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Mexico; Stafford Lightman, MBBChir, MB, BChir, PhD(Cantab), FRCP, FMedSci, University of Bristol, UK; Steve Maier, Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder; Jens Mikkelsen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark; Miles Orchinik, Ph.D., Arizona State University; Paul Plotsky, Ph.D., Emory University; David Nutt, DM, FRCP, FRCPsych, FMedSci, University of Bristol, UK; Don Rainnie, Ph.D., Emory University; Kenneth Renner, Ph.D., University of South Dakota; Graham A.W. Rook, Ph.D., University College London, UK; Anantha Shekhar, M.D., Ph.D., Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis; Cliff Summers, Ph.D., University of South Dakota.

Opportunities for Undergraduates

• We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated undergraduate students who are interested in obtaining research experience.


• Course requirements: none.
• Minimum experience: no prior laboratory research experience required.


• For more information, contact Prof. Christopher Lowry (christopher.lowry@colorado.edu)

Videos

Recent Publications

• Barr JL, Scholl JL, Solanki RR, Watt MJ, Lowry CA, Renner KJ, Forster GL. Influence of chronic amphetamine treatment and acute withdrawal on serotonin synthesis and clearance mechanisms in the rat ventral hippocampus. European Journal of Neuroscience 37: 479-490, 2013.


• Donner NC, Johnson PL, Fitz SD, Kellen KE, Shekhar A, Lowry CA. Elevated tph2 mRNA expression in a rat model of chronic anxiety. Depression and Anxiety 29: 307-319, 2012.


• Donner NC, Montoya CD, Lukkes JL, Lowry CA. Chronic non-invasive corticosterone administration abolishes the diurnal pattern of tph2 expression. Psychoneuroendocrinology 37: 645-661, 2012.


• Hale MW, Raison CL, Lowry CA. Integrative physiology of depression and antidepressant drug action: implications for serotonergic mechanisms of action and novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of depression. Pharmacology & Therapeutics 137: 108-118, 2013.


• Hale MW, Shekhar A, Lowry CA. Stress-related serotonergic systems: implications for symptomatology of anxiety and affective disorders. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology 32: 695-708, 2012.


• Jasinska AJ, Lowry CA, Burmeister M. Serotonin transporter gene, stress and raphe-raphe interactions: a molecular mechanism of depression. Trends in Neuroscience 35: 395-402, 2012.


• Johnson PL, Sajdyk TJ, Fitz SD, Hale MW, Lowry CA, Hay-Schmidt A, Shekhar A. Angiotensin II's role in sodium lactate-induced panic-like responses in rats with repeated urocortin 1 injections into the basolateral amygdala: Amygdalar angiotensin receptors and panic. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 44C: 248-256, 2013.


• Johnson PL, Samuels BC, Fitz SD, Federici LM, Hammes N, Early MC, Truitt W, Lowry CA. Shekhar A. Orexin 1 receptors are a novel target to modulate panic responses and the panic brain network. Physiology of Behavior 107: 733-742, 2012.


• Johnson PL, Samuels BC, Fitz SD, Lightman SL, Lowry CA, Shekhar A. Activation of orexin 1 receptor is a critical component of CO2-mediated anxiety and hypertension but not bradycardia. Neuropsychopharmacology37: 1911-1922, 2012.


• Lukkes JL, Burke AR, Zelin NS, Hale MW, Lowry CA. Post-weaning social isolation attenuates c-Fos expression in GABAergic interneurons in the basolateral amygdala of adult female rats. Physiology of Behavior 107: 719-725, 2012.


• Lukkes JL, Engelman GH, Zelin NS, Hale MW, Lowry CA. Post-weaning social isolation of female rats, anxiety-related behavior, and serotonergic systems. Brain Research 1443: 1-17, 2012.


• Lukkes JL, Kopelman JM, Donner NC, Hale MW, Lowry CA. Development x environment interactions control tph2 mRNA expression. Neuroscience 237C: 139-150, 2013.


• Neufeld-Cohen A, Kelly PA, Paul ED, Carter RN, Skinner E, Olverman HJ, Vaughan JM, Issler O, Kuperman Y, Lowry CA, Vale WW, Seckl JR, Chen A, Jamieson PM. Chronic activation of corticotropin-releasing factor Type 2 receptors reveals a key role for 5-HT1A receptor responsiveness in mediating behavioral and serotonergic responses to stressful challenge. Biological Psychiatry 72: 437-447, 2012.


• Rook GA, Raison CL, Lowry CA. Can we vaccinate against depression? Drug Discovery Today 17: 451-458, 2012.


• Rook GAW, Lowry CA, Raison CL. Microbial 'Old Friends', immunoregulation and stress resilience. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health 2013: 46-64, 2013.


• Wright KP, Lowry CA, Lebourgeois MK. Circadian and wakefulness-sleep modulation of cognition in humans. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 5: 1-12, 2012.