Sue A. Aicher, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine
  • Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine
  • Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Aicher has a long-standing interest in primary afferent sensory systems and how sensory information leads to physiological and behavioral changes in the organism. She has done extensive work using various histological methods and is recognized for her anatomical studies of neural circuits. Her training in psychology and behavior informs her approach to seeking understanding of how neural circuits modulate behavior. The lab focuses on the cellular mechanism underlying normal and pathophysiological functions in neural circuits including pain and autonomic reflex pathways, as well as neural substrates of addiction. These studies use a variety of techniques including tract tracing, multi-label immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, behavioral and physiological measurements, and single neuron activity in the brain.  Dr. Aicher also collaborates extensively with colleagues at OHSU within her department, across OHSU, the US, and in Australia. 

The Aicher lab is currently funded by grants from the National Eye Institute; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; and the National Institute of Mental Health.

Grant #s:  R33 EY032468 (Aicher. Galor, co-PIs); U01 EY024680 (Aicher, Morgans, Largent-Milnes, co-PIs);  R01 DA055645 (Sorg, Bronw, Aicher, co-PI); R01 HL146833 (Habecker, PI); RF1 MH127343 (Ribelayga, Morgans, Massey, Aicher, co-PIs)

Education and training

    • Ph.D., 1989, University of Iowa

Memberships and associations:

  • Editorial Board, The Journal of Comparative Neurology
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy

Areas of interest

  • Pain pathways & mechanisms
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Neural substrates of addiction

Publications

Publications

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