OHSU

Robert J. Hitzemann, Ph.D.

Robert J. Hitzemann, Ph.D.Position

Professor & Chair

Contact

hitzeman@ohsu.edu; Phone: (503) 402-2858; Fax: (503) 494-6877; Office: VAMC Building 101, Room 530A and Mackenzie Hall Room 2214; Mail Code: L470 

Preceptor Rotations/Mentorship Availability

  • Dr. Hitzemann is available for preceptor rotations for all upcoming academic terms
  • Dr. Hitzemann is not available for mentorship.

Major Areas 

Behavioral genetics, drug abuse, neuroimaging, psychopharmacology 

Previous Positions 

  • Assistant Professor, University of California-San Francisco 
  • Assistant/Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati 
  • Associate Professor/Professor, SUNY at Stony Brook 

Education 

  • B.S. (1967) Albion College 
  • M.S. (1970) Wayne State University 
  • Ph.D. (1975) University of California-San Francisco 

Research Interests 

The goal of our research is to understand how genes regulate complex behaviors, particularly complex drug-induced behaviors. The behaviors of interest include the stimulant response to ethanol, haloperidol-induced catalepsy, exploratory behavior, acoustic startle and prepulse inhibition. The genetic dimensions of these behaviors can be studied in laboratory animals (generally mice) using classical genetic techniques such as selective breeding and recombinant inbred strategies. Molecular genetic strategies can then be used to map the relevant gene loci and eventually isolate the relevant genes. Recent studies have shown that a single base pair substitution in Cas1is associated with marked differences in ethanol response. Cas1 is the gene that codes for catalase, an enzyme responsible, in part, for brain ethanol metabolism. 

For each of the behaviors studied in the laboratory, the basal ganglia and the limbic system exert an important regulatory role. A secondary goal of our research is to investigate how genetic factors affect the functional organization of these structures. There is a particular interest in the regulation of neurotransmitter receptor and transporter density and the pattern of neuropeptide connections within the brain. Immunocytochemical techniques are also used to map the brain regions activated (and inhibited) by various behavioral paradigms and drug treatments. 

Publications 

See Dr. Hitzemann's PubMed Listing