Barbara Horwitz, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
280 Briggs Hall
Davis Campus
530-752-0169
e-mail

Research Interests

Neural, hormonal, and genetic regulation of cellular oxidative metabolism, energy balance, obesity, and thermogenesis. Extracellular signal reception/intracellular signal transduction and uncoupling proteins; physiological changes with obesity/aging.

Graduate Group Affiliations

Hamilton, JS, SM Chau, KJ Malins, GG Ibanez, JM Horowitz, BA Horwitz. Syrian hamster neuroplasticity mechanisms fail as temperature declines to 15°C, but histaminergic neuromodulation persists. J Comp Physiol B 2017 Jul;187(5-6):779-791

Mikhailova, A, J Mack, N Vitagliano, JS Hamilton, JM Horowitz, BA Horwitz. Recovery of Syrian hamster hippocampal signaling following its depression during oxygen-glucose deprivation is enhanced by cold temperatures and by hibernation. Neurosci Lett 621:98-103, 2016.

Sekizawa, S-I, B Horwitz, J Horowitz, C-Y Chen. 2013. Protection of signal processing at low temperature in baroreceptive neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius of Syrian hamsters, a hibernating species. Am J Physiol Regul, Integr & Comp Physiol, 305 (10) R1153-62.

Horwitz, BA, SM Chau, JS Hamilton, C Song, J Gorgone, M Saenz, JM Horowitz, C-Y Chen. 2013, Temporal relationships of blood pressure, heart rate, baroreflex function and body temperature change over a hibernation bout in Syrian hamsters. Am J Physiol Regul, Integ & Comp Physiol 305 (7): R759-768.

Sekizawa, S-I, JM Horowitz, BA Horwitz, C-Y Chen. 2012. Realignment of signal processing within a sensory brainstem nucleus, the NTS, as brain temperature declines in the Syrian hamster, a hibernating species. J Comp Physiol A (Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol) 198:267-282.

Arant, RJ, MS Goo, PD Gill, YH Nguyen, KD Watson, JS Hamilton, JM Horowitz, BA Horwitz 2011. Decreasing temperature switches hippocampal function from memory formation to modulation of hibernation bout duration in Syrian hamsters. Am J Physiol Regul, Integr & Comp Physiol 301 (2) R438-47.

McDonald, RB, KM Walker, DB Warman, SM Griffey, CH Warden, JJ Ramsey, BA Horwitz. 2008. Characterization of survival and phenotype throughout the lifespan in UCP2/UCP3 genetically altered mice. Exp Gerontol 43: 1061-68.

Asami, DK, RB McDonald, K Hagopian, BA Horwitz, D Warman, A Hsio, C Warden, JJ Ramsey. 2008. Effect of aging, caloric restriction, and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) on mitochondria proton leak in mice. Exp Gerontol 43:1069-76.

Bronson, NW, JP Piro, JS Hamilton, JM Horowitz, & BA Horwitz. 2006. Temperature modifies potentiation but not depotentiation in bidirectional hippocampal plasticity of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Brain Res 1098: 61-70.

Coppola, JD, BA Horwitz, J Hamilton, JE Blevins, RB McDonald. 2005. Reduced feeding response to muscimol and neuropeptide Y in senescent F344 rats. Am J Physiol Regul, Integr, & Comp 288:R1492-98.

Bronson, NW, JS Hamilton, M. Han, P-A Li, I Hornstra, JM Horowitz, BA Horwitz. 2005. LOXL null mice demonstrate selective dentate structural changes but maintain dentate granule cell and CA1 pyramidal cell potentiation in the hippocampus. Neurosci Let 390: 118-122.

Coppola, JD, BA Horwitz, J Hamilton, RB McDonald. 2004. Expression of Neuropeptide Y1 and Y5 receptors in the hypothelamic paraventricular nucleus of aged Fischer 344 rats. Am J Physiol Regul, Integr, & Comp 287: R69-75.

Ohliger-Frerking P, JM Horowitz, & BA Horwitz. Serotonergic dorsal raphe neurons from obese zucker rats are hyperexcitable. Neuroscience 2003;120:627-634.

Gabaldon AM, DA Gavel, JS Hamilton, RB McDonald, BA Horwitz. Norepinephrine release in brown adipose tissue remains robust in cold-exposed senescent Fischer 344 rats. Am J Physiol: Regul, Integ & Comp Physiol 2003 Jul;285: R91-R98.

Horvath, TK, S Diano, S Miyamoto, S Barry, S Gatti, D. Alberati, F. Livak, A Lombardi, M Moreno, F Goglia, G Mor, J Hamilton, D Kachinskas, B. Horwitz, & CH Warden. Uncoupling proteins-2 and 3 influence obesity and inflammation in transgenic mice. Int. J. Obesity 2003 Apr;27: 433-442.

Ohliger-Frerking P, JM Horowitz, & BA Horwitz. Enhanced adrenergic excitation of serotonergic dorsal Raphe neurons in genetically obese rats. Neurosci Lett. 2002 Oct 31;332:107-112.

Horwitz, BA, CA Blanton and RB McDonald. Physiologic determinants of the anorexia of aging: Insights from animal studies. Ann. Rev. Nutr. 2002;22:417-438

Blanton, CA, BA Horwitz, JE Blevins, JS Hamilton, EJ Hernandez and RB McDonald. Reduced feeding responses to neuropeptide Y in senescent Fischer 344 rats. American Journal of Physiology. 2001 Apr;280(4):R1052-60

De Fanti BA, DA Gavel, JS Hamilton, and BA Horwitz. Extracellular hypothalamic serotonin levels after dorsal raphe nuclei stimulation of lean (Fa/Fa) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Brain Research. 2000 Jun 30;869:6-14

  • Cellular Physiology; Metabolic Physiology
  • National Institute of Health Merit Award
  • Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award
  • UC Davis Prize for Teaching and Scholarly Achievement
  • Arthur C. Guyton Physiology Teacher of the Year
  • Past President, American Physiological Society
  • Past President, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine
  • Board of Directors, Federation of American Societies