Robert F. Berman, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery and a member of the Center for Neuroscience.  He is also affiliated with the M.I.N.D. Institute and is a member of the Center for Children’s Environmental Health.  He is Director of Research for the Neurotrauma Research Laboratories at UC Davis.  Dr. Berman is a member of the Executive Committee of the  Neuroscience Graduate Program, and is also a member of the Pharmacology/Toxicology Graduate Program. 

Dr. Berman’s laboratory studies neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease, with a focus on cellular mechanisms of brain injury associated with these disorders.   A major research program is focused on the study of Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia (FXTAS).  FXTAS is a late developing neurodegenerative disease due to an expanded CGG trinucleotide repeat in the 5’-untranslated region of the FMR1 gene.  This leads to the development of tremors, ataxia, neuropsychological problems including depression, and dementia in some patients.  Ubiquitin staining intranuclear inclusions in neurons and astrocytes are pathophysiological hallmarks of FXTAS, and are shown in the Figure below.  Dr. Berman’s laboratory is using transgenic CGG KI mice to model FXTAS and to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie the neuropathology and neurobehavioral deficits in FXTAS.  Both inducible and conditional mouse models are under development and study to determine which cells type (e.g., neurons versus glia) are critical to development of disease, as well as the potential for reversing the symptoms and progression of FXTAS by appropriate pharmacological or gene-targeted therapies. 

A second area of research examines the effects of neonatal toxin exposure (e.g., polybrominated diethyl ethers, PCB’s, ethanol) on brain development and behavior using animal models.  His laboratory has recently developed a set of behavioral testing procedures to evaluate social behaviors and social interactions in rodents in order to provide useful models of for the study of neurodevelopment disorder, including autism. 

Finally, Dr. Berman’s laboratory is continuing research on the role of disruption of calcium homeostasis, and N-type voltage gated calcium channels in particular, in the pathophysiology and cell loss that occurs following traumatic brain injury. 

Dr. Berman’s research and training activities have been funded by the NIH for the past 20 years, and he is currently funded by the NIEHS and NINDS.  His research is multidisciplinary, using in vivo and in vitro models of brain injury, and behavioral, histological, electrophysiological and neurochemical methodologies.

Teaching Interests:
Neuropharmacology, Neurochemistry, Memory and Learning, Neural Plasticity, Neurotoxicology

Courses Taught:
NSC 299 – Research

NSC 290C – Research Conference

PTX 203 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology - Term(s): Spring

Publications:

2009 Hunsaker, R., Willemsen, R. & Berman, R.F.  Progressive spatial processing deficits in a mouse model of the Fragile X Premutation.  Behavioral Neuroscience.  In Press.

2009 Berman, R.F.  Seizure termination and the postseizure refractory period.  Encyclopedia of Basic Epilepsy Research.  Vol. 3, 1320-1327.

2009 Berman, R.F. & Willemsen, R.  Mouse models of Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia.  J. Investigative Medicine.  In Press.

2008 Berman, R.F., Pessah, I.N., Mouton, P.R., Mav, D. & Harry, J.  Low-level thimerosal exposure: further evaluation of altered neurotoxic potential in SJL mice.  Toxicological Sciences.  101(2):294-2008.

2008 Zhao, X., Gorin, F.A., Berman, R.F. & Lyeth, B.G.  Differential hippocampal protection when blocking intracellular sodium and calcium entry during traumatic brain injury in rats.  J. Neurotrauma.  25(10): 1196-1205.

2008 Parks, E.A., McMechan, A.P., Hannigan, J.P. & Berman, R.F.  Environmental enrichment alters neurotrophin levels after fetal alcohol exposure in rats.  Alcoholism:  Clinical and Experimental Research.  32(10):1741-1751.

2008  Brouwer, J.R., Huizer, K., Severijnen, L.A., Hukema, R.K., Berman, R.F., Oostra, B.A. & Willemsen, R.  CGG-repeat length and neuropathological and molecular correlates in a mouse model for fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome.  J. Neurochemistry.  107:1671-1682.

2008 Pessah, I.N., Seegal, R.F., Lein, P.J., LaSalle, J. Yee, B.K., Van de Water, J. & Berman, R.F.  Immunologic and neurodevelopmental susceptibilities of autism.  NeuroToxicology.  29(3): 532-545.

2007 Folkerts, M.M., Parks, E., Dedman, J., Kaetzel, M., Lyeth, B.G. & Berman, R.F. Phosphorylation of calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II following traumatic brain injury in rats. J. Neurotrauma, 24(4): 638-650, 2007

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

2007 Hannigan, HJ, O'Leary-Moore, Sk, & Berman, R. F. Postnatal environmental or experiential amelioration of neurobehavioral effects of perinatal alcohol exposure in rats. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 31:202-211, 2007.

2006 Burke, K.A., Cheng, Y., Baogang,k L., Petrov, A., Pushkar, J. Berman, R.F., Reuhl, R.K. & DiCicco-Bloom, E. Methylmercury elicits rapid inhibition of cell proliferation in the developing brain and decreases cell cycle regulator, cyclin E. Neurotoxicology, 27(6): 970-81, 2006.

2006 Greco, C.M., Berman, R.F., Martin, R.M., Tassone, F., Schwartz, P.H., Chang, A., Trapp, B.D., Iwahashi, C., Brunberg, J. Grigsby, J., Hessl, D., Becker, E.J., P{apazian, J., Leehey, M.A., Hagerman, R.J. & Hagerman, P.J. Neuropathology of fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). Brain, 129, 243-255, 2006.

2006 Zhong, C., Zhao, X., Van, K.C., Bzdega, T., Smyth, A., Zhou, J., Kozikowski, A.P., Jiang, J., O-Connor, W.T., Berman, R.F., Neale, J.H. & Lyeth, B.G. NAAG peptidase inhibitor increases dialysate NAAG and Reduces Glutamate, Aspartate and GABA levels in the dorsal hippocampus following lateral fluid percussion injury in the rat. J. Neurochemistry, 97(4), 1015-25, 2006.

2006 Lapanantsain, S., Chongthammakun, S., Floyd, C.L., Berman, R.F. Effects of 17B-estradiol on intracellular calcium changes and neuronal survival after mechanical strain injury in neuronal-glial cultures. Synapse, 60(5), 406-10, 2006.

2006 O'Leary-Moore, S.K., McMechan, A.P., Mathison, S.N., Berman, R.F., & Hannigan, J.H. Reversal learning after prenatal or easly postnatal alcohol exposure in juvenile and adults rats. Alcohol, 38(2), 99-110.

2005 Van Putten, H.P., Bouwhuis, M.G., Muizelaar, J.P., Lyeth, B.G. & Berman, R. F. Diffusion weighted imaging of Edema following traumatic brain injury in rats: Effects of hypoxia. J. Neurotrauma, 22(8), 857-872, 2005

2005 Dietrich, K.N., Eskenazi, B., Schantz, S., Yolton, K. Rauh, V.A., Johnson, C.B., Alkon, A., Canfield, R. L., Pessah, I.N. & Berman, R.F. Principles and practices of neurodevelopmental assessment in children: Lessions learned from the centers for children's environmental health and disease prevention research. J. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(10), 1437-46, 2005

2005 McGaraughty, S.P., Berman, R. F., Cowart, M. & Jarvis, M. F. Anticonvulsant and antinociceptive actions of novel adenosine kinase inhibitors. In press, Current Topics in Medicine Chemistry, 5(1), 43-58, 2005.

2005 Aden, U., O'Connor, W. T. & Berman, R. F. Changes in adenosine metabolites and adenosine receptors in the kindled rat brain. Neuroreport, 15(10), 1585-1589, 2005.

2005 Viant, M.R., Lyeth, B.G., Miller, M.G. & Berman, R.F. An NMR metabolomic investigation of early metabolic disturbances following traumatic brain injury in a mammalian model. NMR Biomed. 2005 Dec;18(8):507-16.

2005 German, T.S., Berman, R.F., Lee, I. & Kesner, R.P. Patterns of hippocampal cell loss based on subregional lesions of the hippocampus. Brain Res. 1065(1-2):1-7, 2005.

2003 Rismanchi, N., Floyd, C. L., Berman, R.F. and Lyeth, B.G. Cell death and long-term maintenance of neuron-like state after differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells: A comparison of protocols. Brain Research, 991(1-2), 46-55, 2003

2003 Zhao, X., Ahram, A., Berman, R.F., Muizelaar, J. P. & Lyeth, B. G. Early loss of astrocytes after experimental traumatic brain injury. Glia, 44:140-152, 2003.

2004 Hallam, T. M., Floyd, C. L., Folkerts, M. M., Lee, L. L., Gong, Q-Z, Lyeth, B. G., Muizelaar, J. P. and Berman, R. F. Comparison of behavioral effects and acute neuronal degeneration in rat lateral fluid percussion and weight drop brain injury models. J. Neurotrauma, 21(4), 521-539, 2004.

2004 Lee, L.L., Gallo, E., Lyeth, B.G., Muizelaar, J.P. & Berman, R. F. Neuroprotection in the rat lateral fluid percussion in model by SNX185, an N-type voltage gated calcium channel blocker. Experimental Neurology, 90:70-78, 2004

2001 Lyeth, B. G., Gong, Q-Z, Shields, S., Muizelaar, J. P. and Berman, R. F. Group I metabotropic glutamate antagonist reduces acute neuronal degeneration and behavioral deficits after traumatic brain injury in rats. Experimental Neurology, 169, 191-1, 2001

2001 Zwienenberg, M., Gong, Q-Z, Berman, R. F., Muizelaar, J. P. and Lyeth, B. G. The effects of Group II and III metabotropic glutamate receptor activation on neuronal injury in a rodent model of traumatic brain injury. Neurosurgery, 48(5) 1119-1127, 2001.

2001 Hannigan, J.H., Berman, R.F. Alcohol embryofetopathy in rats and the principles of teratology: Illuminating hippocampal dysfunction. In: R. Vogel, J. Fanghanel, Th. Koppe (Eds). Aspects of Teratology, Vol 2, Tectum-Verlag, Marburg, German

2001 Berman, R. F., Aden, U., and O'Connor, W. T. Increased adenosine release and metabolism during seizures in rats. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on In Vivo Methods: Monitoring Molecules in Neuroscience., pp392-394, 2001.

2000 Berman, R. F. & Hannigan, J. H. Hippocampal damage following prenatal alcohol exposure in rats. Hippocampus. 10:94-110, 2000.

2000 Berman, R. F., Fredholm, B. B., Aden, U. & O'Connor, W. R. Evidence for increased adenosine release and metabolism in the hippocampus of rats during seizures. In Press, Brain Research, 872(1-2): 44-53, 2000

2000 Hannigan, J. H. & Berman, R. F. Amelioration of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders in rats: Exploring and environmental treatments. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 22, 103-111, 2000.

2000 Berman, R. F., B. H. Verveij and J. Paul Muizelaar. Neurobehavioral protection by the calcium channel blocker SNX111 in a rat model of diffuse brain injury. J. Neurosurg. 93: 831-838, 2000