1990, B.A. (Psychology) University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
1990, B.A. (Economics) University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
1994, M.A. (Clinical Psychology) Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ
2002, Ph.D. (Behavioral Neuroscience) Oregon Health & Science University, OR
2005-07, Postdoctoral Fellow (Molecular Microbiology & Immunology)
Oregon Health & Science University, OR

Research Interests:

Broadly defined, Dr. Loftis’ research is focused on investigating the neuroimmunological mechanisms contributing to substance abuse, cognitive impairment and depression. Her translational research program uses rodents and humans to characterize the inflammatory pathways contributing to cognitive dysfunction and depressogenesis, particularly in patients with a history of substance abuse and hepatitis C. It is hypothesized that circulating inflammatory cytokines act on central nervous system (CNS) cytokine receptors, which in turn stimulate the production of inflammatory mediators (e.g., other proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide) in specific brain regions thus contributing to cognitive impairments and alterations in mood.

The specific areas of interest are: (1) Investigating the relationship among cytokine-induced neuropsychiatric symptoms and associated changes in neurotransmitter systems, stress hormones, and other cytokines, (2) The use of antidepressant and other novel pharmacotherapies for the treatment or prevention of cytokine-induced psychiatric symptoms and sickness behavior (in animal models), (3) Identifying genetic and neuroimmune biomarkers associated with cytokine-induced depression and cognitive impairment, focusing on the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and (4) Characterizing the mechanisms leading to methamphetamine-induced psychiatric and cognitive impairment in order to develop interventions that could prevent or ameliorate methamphetamine-induced impairments and improve recovery outcomes.

Positions and Employment
2008 to Present: Research Microbiologist (Supervisory), Portland VA Medical Center
2008 to Present: Research Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University
2006 to Present: Mentor, Partnership for Scientific Inquiry, Oregon Health & Science University
2002 to Present: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University

Awards and Fellowships
1993--Received National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) new investigator's
award at National Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit conference, Boca Raton, FL
2003--Department of Veterans Affairs 2003 Team of the Year:
Hepatitis C Resource Center
2007-- As a member of the Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, the Hepatitis C Caring Ambassadors Program awarded the team
"IN RECOGNITION OF AND WITH GRATITUDE FOR YOUR SERVICE AND GROUND-BREAKING EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF VETERANS LIVING WITH HEPATITIS C."

Recent Publications
Loftis, J.M. and Janowsky, A. (2000) Regulation of NMDA receptor subunits and neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression during cocaine withdrawal. J. Neurochemistry 75:2040-2050.

Loftis, J.M. and Janowsky, A. (2002) Cocaine-withdrawal induced alterations in the expression and serine phosphorylation of the NR1 NMDA receptor subunit. Psychopharmacology 164:349-359.

Loftis, J.M., Socherman, R.E., Howell, C.D., Whitehead, A.J., Hill, J., Dominitz, J.A., Hauser, P. (2004) Association of interferon-a-induced depression and improved end-of-treatment response in patients with hepatitis C. Neuroscience Letters 365(2):87-91.

Loftis, J.M., Wall, J.M., Linardatos, E., Benvenga, S., Hauser, P. (2004) A quantitative assessment of depression and thyroid dysfunction secondary to antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis C. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation 27(7):RC16-20.

Loftis, J.M. and Hauser, P. (2005) Letter to the editor re: the effect of a herbal medicine (Mao-to) for the prevention of interferon-induced psychiatric complication in chronic hepatitis C. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 20(3):211-2.

Loftis, J.M., Rifai, M.A., Hauser, P. (2005) The association between viral clearance and depression in patients with hepatitis C receiving interferon-alpha and ribavirin. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 19(4):271-2.

Loftis, J.M., Macey, T.A., Lowe, J.D., Hauser, P. (2006) Can rodents be used to model interferon-a-induced depressive symptoms? Progress in NeuroPsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry 7:1364-5.

Loftis, J.M., Wall, J.M., Pagel, R.L., Hauser, P. (2006) Administration of pegylated interferon-a does not induce sickness behavior in Lewis rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 31:1289-1294.

Huckans, M.S.,Loftis, J.M., Blackwell, A.D., Hauser, P. (2007) Interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C: Treatment response and completion rates among patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and substance use disorder. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy 12:2-4.

Morasco, B.J., Rifai, M.A.,Loftis, J.M., Indest, D.W., Moles, J.K., Hauser, P. (2007) A randomized trial of paroxetine to prevent interferon-alpha-induced depression in patients with hepatitis C. J Affect Disord. 103(1-3):83-90.

Loftis, J.M., Huckans, M., Ruimy, S., Hinrichs, D.J., Hauser, P. (2008) Depressive symptoms in patients with chronic hepatitis C are correlated with elevated plasma levels of interleukin-1b and tumor necrosis factor-a. Neuroscience Letters 430(3):264-8.

Huckans, M., Mitchell, A., Ruimy, S., Loftis, J., Hauser, P. (2008) Antiviral Therapy Completion and Response Rates Among Hepatitis C Patients With and Without Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull.