BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
NAME
POSITION TITLE
Kathryn M. Albers
Professor
eRA COMMONS USER NAME (credential, e.g., agency login)
KATHRYN_M_ALBERS
EDUCATION/TRAINING (Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional education, such as nursing, include postdoctoral training and
residency training if applicable.)
DEGREE
INSTITUTION AND LOCATION
MM/YY
FIELD OF STUDY
(if applicable)
SUNY at Stony Brook, New York
SUNY at Stony Brook, New York
University of Chicago
B.S.
Ph.D.
Postdoc
1977
1985
1985-1989
Biology
Cell & Develop.Biology
Molec Genet/Cell Bio
A. Personal Statement
I have a long-standing interest in the role of neurotrophic growth factors in regulation of sensory neuron
functional properties. Most recently my laboratory has used transgenic/knockout mouse lines and in vitro
model systems to examine how these factors (neurotrophins and GDNF family members) modulate pain
signaling pathways and the response to nerve injury. These studies have provided novel insights into growth
factor function at molecular, cellular and physiologic levels and their role in adult pain processing in sensory
neurons following inflammatory and neuropathic damage in the peripheral tissue. These and other related
projects have provided many training and educational experiences for undergraduates, predoctoral and
postdoctoral trainees.
B. Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
1985-1989
Dept. Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Postdoctoral fellow in the
laboratory of Elaine V. Fuchs.
1988-1989
Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Research Asst Professor
1990-1995
Departments of Pathology & Anatomy & Neurobiology University of Kentucky, Assistant
Professor.
1995-2001
Departments of Pathology & Anatomy & Neurobiology University of Kentucky, Associate
Professor.
2001-2007
Departments of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and
Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Associate Professor.
2007-present Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and
Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Professor.
Other Experience and Professional Memberships
1985Member Society for Cell Biology
1992-present Society for Neuroscience; 2007-present, International Association for the Study of Pain
1996-2000
Co-Director, Transgenic Mouse Facility
1996-1998
Director, Experimental Pathology Subdivision
1996
NSF Instrumentation Review panel
2000-2001
Chair, IACUC
1998
Grant Reviewer, NSF and Wellcome Trust
2002-present CNUP Training Grant Steering Committee
2002
NIH Study Panel (Gene Expression Profiling in the Nervous System)
2003-present Advisory Committee, University of Nebraska COBRE Center on Neurosensory Systems
2005-present Member of International Association for the Study of Pain
2004-2007
Section Editor, Drug Discovery Today
2003-2009
Member, NIH SCS Study Section
2005-present Member, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research
2007
NIH Special Emphasis Panel on Trigeminal Pain
2009-present Editorial Board, J. Pain
2009
NST2 NINDS review committee, Ad hoc member
2010
Ad hoc member: NIA-N review committee; NCCAM PPG review committee; NIH BDCN review
committee
2011
Ad hoc member: NIH BDCN Review committee; reviewer for Graduate Women in Science
Fellowship
Honors
1985-1988
NRSA Fellowship,University of Chicago
1988-1989
Dermatology Foundation Research Fellowship
1994
University of Kentucky College of Medicine Award for Outstanding Research
1997
University of Kentucky Alumni Association Res. Champion
2008
NIA/ISOT invited speaker
2011
Helen H. Molinari Memorial Lecturer, Albany Medical College
C. Selected Peer-reviewed Publications
Most relevant to the current application
Jankowski M, S McIlwrath, PK Cornuet, K Salerno, HR Koerber and Albers, KM. 2008. The developmentally
expressed transcription factor Sox11 regulates peripheral nerve regeneration in the adult. Brian Res.
1256:43. PMID: 19133245.
Salerno KM, X Jing, CM Diges, PK Cornuet, JC Glorioso and KM Albers. 2012. Sox11 modulates brain
-derived neurotrophic factor expression in an exon promoter-specific manner. J Neurosci Res; 90(5):1011
-9. doi:10.1002/jnr.23010.
Jing XJ, T Wang, S Huang, JC Glorioso and KM Albers. 2012. Sox11 stimulates peripheral nerve regeneration
in part by transcriptional activation of the regeneration-associated gene Sprr1a. Exp Neurol. Exp Neurol.
233(1):221-32.
Elitt CM, S McIlwrath, J Lawson, S Malin, DC Molliver, PK Cornuet, HR Koerber, BM Davis and KM Albers.
2006. Artemin overexpression in skin enhances expression of TRPV1 and TRPA1 in cutaneous sensory
neurons and leads to behavioral sensitivity to heat and cold. J. Neurosci. 26:8578-8587. PMID: 16914684.
Wang S, BM Davis, M Zwick, S Waxman and KM Albers. 2006. Reduced thermal sensitivity and Nav1.8
and TRPV1 channel expression in sensory neurons of aged mice. Neurobio of Aging. 27:895-903. PMID:
15979214.
Schwartz, ES, JA Christianson, X Chen, JH La, BM Davis, KM Albers and GF Gebhart. 2010. Role of TRPV1
and TRPA1 in pancreatic pain and inflammation. Gastroenterology; Epub ahead of print. PMID:
21185837.
Tanaka T, M Shinoda, B Feng, KM Albers and GF Gebhart. 2011. Modulation of visceral hypersensitivity by
glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family receptor alpha-3 in colorectal afferents. Am J
Physiolo Gastrointest Liver Physiol. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 21193524.
Malin SA, Molliver DC, Koerber HR, Cornett P, Frye R, Albers KM and BM Davis. 2006. Glial cell line-derived
neurotrophic factor family members sensitize nociceptors in vitro and produce thermal
hyperalgesia in vivo. J. Neurosci. 26:8588-8599. PMID: 16914685.
Elitt CM, SA Malin, HR Koerber, BM Davis and KM Albers. 2008. Overexpression of artemin in the tongue
increases expression of TRPV1 and TRPA1 in trigeminal afferents and causes oral sensitivity to capsaicin
and mustard oil. Brain Res. 1230:80-90. PMID: 18652806.
Wang S, CM Elitt, SA Malin and KM Albers. 2008. Effects of the neurotropic factor artemin on sensory
afferent development and sensitivity. Acta Physiologica Sinica; Special issue on Pain: Physiology and
pathophysiology. Sheng Li Xue Bao 60:565-570. PMID: 18958361.
Zwick M, BM Davis, CJ Woodbury, JN Burkett, HR Koerber, JF Simpson, and KM Albers. 2002. GDNF is
a survival factor for IB4-positive neurons, but not VR1-positive neurons in the mouse. J.Neurosci. 22:4057
-4065.
Molliver DC, J Lindsay, KM Albers and BM Davis. 2005. Overexpression of NGF or GDNF alters
transcriptional plasticity evoked by inflammation. Pain. 113:277-284. PMID: 15661434.
Albers KM, CJ Woodbury, AM Ritter, BM Davis and HR Koerber. 2006. Glial cell line-derived growth factor
expression in skin alters the mechanical sensitivity of cutaneous nociceptors. J. Neurosci. 26:2981-2990.
PMID: 16540576.