Henryk F. Urbanski
Senior Scientist, Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Ctr.
Associate Professor, Behavioral Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine
e-mail: urbanski@ohsu.edu
Major Areas: Circadian Rhythms, Seasonal Affective Disorders, Neuroendocrinology of Development and Aging
Previous Positions
Research Instructor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Adjunct Associate Professor, Zoology, Washington State University
Assistant/Associate Scientist, Neuroscience, OHSU
Education
B.Sc. (1977) University of Wales, UK
M.Sc. (1978) University of Edinburgh, UK
Ph.D. (1983) University of Bristol, UK
D.Sc. (2003) University of Edinburgh, UK
Research Interests
Although the hypothalamus represents only a small area of the brain, it plays a vital role in the maintenance of our internal environment. Research in Dr. Urbanski's laboratory is focused on two major hypothalamic neural circuits:
(1) those responsible for maintaining rhythmic biological functions (e.g., seasonal and circadian hormone rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle),
and (2) those responsible for maintaining normal reproductive function (e.g., puberty, ovulation, and menopause). His primary goal is to elucidate the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms, and to understand how they are influenced by changes in the external and internal environments. Members of Dr. Urbanski's laboratory team are using a variety of methodologies to investigate how sleep-wake cycles and reproductive physiology are influenced by factors such as day-length, diet, age, and sex-steroids. They are also screening thousands of genes to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that play key regulatory roles. Dr. Urbanski's hope is that a deeper understanding of plasticity within specific neuroendocrine circuits will lead to the development of effective therapies for various human physiological disorders, especially those associated with the onset of puberty and menopause, as well as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Downs JL, Urbanski HF (2006) Neuroendocrine changes in the aging reproductive axis of female rhesus macaques ( Macacaca mulatta ). Biology of Reproduction (in press).
Downs JL, Dunn MR, Borok E, Shanabrough M, Horvath TL, Kohama SG. Urbanski HF (2006) Orexin neuronal changes in the locus coeruleus of the aging rhesus macaque. Neurobiology of Aging (in press).
Downs JL, Urbanski HF (2006) Aging-related sex dependent loss of the circulating leptin 24-hour rhythm in the rhesus monkey. Journal of Endocrinology , 190:117-127.
Lemos DR, Downs JL, Urbanski HF (2006) Twenty-four hour rhythmic gene expression in the rhesus macaque adrenal gland. Molecular Endocrinology 20:1164-1176.
Garyfallou GT, Lemos D, Urbanski HF (2006) Expression profiling of genes associated with glutamate and GABA neurotransmission in immortalized GT1-1, GT1-7, and Gn10 cells, Brain Research, 1086:50-54.
Krajewski SJ, Anderson MJ, Iles-Shih L, Chen KJ, Urbanski HF, Rance NE (2005) Morphologic evidence that neurokinin B modulates gonadotropin releasing hormone secretion via NK3 receptors in the rat median eminence. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 489:372-386.
Urbanski HF, Downs JL, Garyfallou VT, Mattison JA, Lane MA, Roth GS, Ingram DK (2004) Effect of caloric restriction on the 24-hour plasma DHEAS and cortisol profiles of young and old male rhesus macaque s, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1019, 443-447.
Densmore VS, Urbanski HF (2004) Effect of estradiol on hypothalamic GnRH-II gene expression in the female rhesus macaque. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, 33:145-153.
Densmore VS, Urbanski HF (2003) Relative effects of GnRH-I and GnRH-II on gonadotropin release. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 88:2126-2134.
Diano S, Horvath B, Urbanski HF, Sotonyi P, Horvath TL (2003) Fasting activates the non-human primate hypocretin (orexin) system and its postsynaptic targets. Endocrinology, 44:3774-3778.
Meeran D, Urbasnki HF, Gregory SJ, Townsend J, Tortonese DJ (2003) Developmental changes in the hormonal identity of gonadotroph cells in the rhesus monkey pituitary gland. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism , 88:2934-2942.
Morgan C, Urbanski HF, Fan W, Akil H, Cone RD (2003) Pheromone-induced anorexia in Syrian hamsters . American Journal of Physiology (Endocrinology & Metabolism), 285:E1028-1038.
Olcese J, Domagalski R, Bednorz A, Weaver DR, Urbanski HF, Reuss S, Middendorff R (2003) Expression and regulation of mPer1 in immortalized GnRH neurons. NeuroReport, 14:613-618.