Robert L. Stephens, Jr., Ph.D.

Associate Professor 421 Hamilton Hall 1645 Neil Avenue Columbus  OH  43210-1218 stephens.6@osu.edu

Education:
Ph.D., Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Research Area:
Current projects include the study of the neurobiology of chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia and related algesic disorders with a CNS component (irritable bowel syndrome, non-ulcer dyspepsia, non-cardiac chest pain). Neuropathic pain is a present focus of the laboratory, utilizing transgenic murine models to investigate the role of pro-oxidant species and glutamate transporter dysfunction in mediating algesia.

Equipment and Techniques:
Behavioral and biochemical neuropharmacology; stereotaxic placement, brain; hindbrain microinjection; HPLC systems-biogenic amines, microdialysis; in vitro systems; rodent models of algesic measurement, in vivo voltammetry, glutamate.

Publications:
·  Hacimuftuoglu A, Handy CR, Goettl VM, Lin CG, Dane S, Stephens RL Jr. Antioxidants attenuate multiple phases of formalin-induced nociceptive response in mice. Behav Brain Res, 2006 Oct 16; 173(2):211-6. Epub 2006 Aug 17. PMID: 16919817 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
·  Chen R, Tilley MR, Wei H, Zhou F, Zhou FM, Ching S, Quan N, Stephens RL, Hill ER, Nottoli T, Han DD, Gu HH. Abolished cocaine reward in mice with a cocaine-insensitive dopamine transporter. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2006 Jun 13;103(24):9333-8. Epub 2006 Jun 5. PMID: 16754872 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
·  Madiai F, Goettl VM, Hussain SR, Clairmont AR, Stephens RL Jr, Hackshaw KV. Anti-fibroblast growth factor-2 antibodies attenuate mechanical allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. J Mol Neurosci, 2005;27(3):315-24. PMID: 16280602 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
·  Tao YX, Gu J, Stephens RL Jr. Role of spinal cord glutamate transporter during normal sensory transmission and pathological pain states. Mol Pain, 2005 Oct 21; 1:30. PMID: 16242033 [PubMed]
·  Liaw WJ, Stephens RL Jr, Binns BC, Chu Y, Sepkuty JP, Johns RA, Rothstein JD, Tao YX. Spinal glutamate uptake is critical for maintaining normal sensory transmission in rat spinal cord. Pain, 2005 May; 115(1-2):60-70. PMID: 15836970 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
·  Binns BC, Huang Y, Goettl VM, Hackshaw KV, Stephens RL Jr. Glutamate uptake is attenuated in spinal deep dorsal and ventral horn in the rat spinal nerve ligation model. Brain Res, 2005 Apr 11; 1041(1):38-47. PMID: 15804498 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]