Institute for Behavioral Genetics
Campus Box 447
University of Colorado Â鶹¹ÙÍø
Â鶹¹ÙÍø, CO 80309-0447
Dr. Stitzel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology and a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics. He received his Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University in 1992. Dr. Stitzel’s primary research interest is the use of genetic strategies to identify the underlying molecular and cellular bases for the behavioral and physiological actions of nicotine and other drugs of abuse. A second area of interest of the laboratory is in understanding the neurobiological substrates that are responsible for daily variations in sensitivity to the behavioral and physiological effects of nicotine. A wide repertoire of methods are utilized in Dr. Stitzel’s laboratory, ranging from standard molecular techniques, biochemical methods, and cell culture approaches to behavioral and physiological testing of standard and genetically manipulated mice. The research in Dr. Stitzel’s lab has been supported by the NIH (National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Mental Health and National Cancer Institute), The American Cancer Society, and The Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation.
Selected Publications:
Hoft NR, Stitzel JA, Hutchison KE, and Ehringer MA. 2011. CHRNB2 Promoter Region: Association with subjective effects to nicotine and gene expression differences. Genes Brain and BehaviorÌý10:176-85.
Papke RL, Wecker L and Stitzel JA. 2010. Activation and inhibition of mouse muscle and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 333:501-518.
Wilking JA, Hesterburg K, Crouch EL, Homanics G, and Stitzel JA. 2010. The mouse Chrna4 T529A polymorphism influences nicotine reinforcement and nicotinic receptor function. Pharmacogenetics and GenomicsÌý20:121-130.
Bierut LJ, Stitzel JA, Wang JC, Hinrichs AL, Grucza RA, Xuei X, Saccone NL, Saccone SF, Bertelsen S, Fox L, Horton WH, Breslau N, Budde J, Cloninger CR, Dick DM, Foroud T, Hatsukami D, Hesselbrock V, Johnson EO, Kramer J, Kuperman S, Madden PAF, Mayo K, Nurnberger J, Pomerleau O, Porjesz B, Reyes O, Schuckit M, Swan G, Tischfield JA, Edenberg HJ, Rice JP, Goete AM. 2008. Variants in nicotinic receptors and risk for nicotine dependence. Am J Psychiatry. 165:1163-71.