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Robert F. Berman, Ph.D.

Robert F. Berman

Clinical/Research Interests

Dr. Berman's research interests focus on mechanisms of brain injury and recovery, effects of prenatal drug exposure on brain growth and development, neuroplasticity, and brain mechanisms of learning and memory. Current studies in Dr. Berman's laboratory include the role of calcium in brain injury and the potential of specific neuronal calcium channel antagonists to protect the brain after injury. Studies are carried out at the cellular, neurochemical, neuroanatomical and behavioral levels. Cell/molecular experiments include in vitro measurements of intracellular calcium levels in primary neuronal and glial cell cultures. Neurotransmitter changes associated with brain injury are assessed by in vivo microdialysis and HPLC (e.g., catecholamines, excitatory amino acids, purines). Dr. Berman also examines ultrastructural changes in the brain using standard histological procedures and stereological quantification of cell numbers. At the behavioral level, memory and learning, sensory perception, and motor performance are assessed in animals in response to treatment with novel neuroprotective agents. The overall goals of this research are to understand the cellular mechanisms that lead to neuronal damage and behavioral disability after brain injury, and to develop specific treatments that will facilitate recovery and improve neurological outcome. A second area of interest is the effects of exposure to environmental toxins (e.g., mercury, PCBs, alcohol) early in development on brain growth and behavior. Dr. Berman is particularly interested in the possibility that environmental toxins may contribute to the development of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. He is currently developing and using animal models to examine brain development and the expression of complex behaviors, including memory, attention and social communication after prenatal and neonatal toxin exposure.

Title:

 Professor
Director of the Neurosciences Lab
Chair of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience

Specialty:

 Neurological Surgery

Center/Program Affiliation:

 Center for Neuroscience, UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute

Education:

 University of Utah School of Medicine
Salt Lake City, Utah
Ph.D. 1976

Education:

 University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
B.A. 1970

Fellowships:

 University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
1976-1978
Neurochemistry

Professional Memberships:

 American Society for Neurochemistry (ASN)
International Behavioral and Neural Genetics Society
International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism
National Neurotrauma Society
Research Society on Alcoholism
Society for Neuroscience

Select Recent Publications:

Folkerts, M.M., Park, E.A., Dedman, J., Kzetzel, M., Lyeth, B. & Berman, R.F. (2007) Phosphorylation of calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II following lateral fluid percussion brain injury in rats. Journal of Neurotrauma, 24(4):638-650.

Jaubert, P. J., Golub, M. S., Lo, Y. Y., Germann, S. L., Dehoff, M. H., Worley, P. F., Kang, S. H., Schwarz, M. K., Seeburg, P. H., and Berman, R. F. (2007). Complex, multimodal behavioral profile of the Homer1 knockout mouse. Genes Brain and Behavior. 6:141-154.

Lapanantasin S, Chongthammakum S, Floyd CL, Berman RF. Effects of 71B-estradiol on intracellular calcium changes and neuronal survival after mechanical strain injury in neuronal-glial cultures. Synapse, 60(5):406-410, 2006.

Zhong C, Zhao X, Van KC, Bzdega T, Smyth A, Zhou J, Kozikowski AP, Jiang J, O'Connor WT, Berman RF, Neale JH, Lyeth BJ. NAAG peptidase inhibitor increases dialysate NAAG and reduces glutamate, aspartate and GABA levels in the dorsal hippocampus following fluid percussion injury in the rat. Journal of Neurochemistry, 97:1015-1025, 2006.

Greco CM, Berman RF, Martin RM, Tassone F, Schwartz P, Becker EJ, Papazian J, Hagerman RJ, Hagerman PJ. Neuropathology of frazile X-associated tremor/ataxis syndrome (FXTAS). Brain, 129:243-55, 2006.

Viant MR, Lyeth BG, Miller-Sears MG, Berman RF. An NMR metabolomic investigation of early metabolic disturbances following traumatic brain injury in a mammalian model. NMR Biomedicine, 18:507-516, 2006.

Jerman TS, Kesner RP, Lee I, Berman RF. Patterns of hippocampal cell loss based on subregional lesions of the hippocampus. Brain Research, 1065(1-2):1-7, 2005.

Van Putten HP, Bouwhuis MG, Muizelaar JP, Lyeth BG, Berman RF. Diffusion-weighted imaging of edema following traumatic brain injury in rats: Effects of secondary hypoxia. Journal of Neurotrauma, 22(8):857-872, 2005.

Hallam TM, Floyd CL, Folkerts MM, Lee LL, Gong QZ, Lyeth BG, Muizelaar JP, Berman RF. Comparison of behavioral deficits and acute neuronal degeneration in rat lateral fluid percussion and weight-drop brain injury models. Journal of Neurotrauma, 21(5):521-39, 2004.

Lee LL, Galo E, Lyeth BG, Muizelaar JP, Berman RF. Neuroprotection in the rat lateral fluid percussion model of traumatic brain injury by SNX-185, an N-type voltage-gated calcium channel blocker. Experimental Neurology, 190(1):70-8, 2004.