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Faculty Detail     Name ERIK ROBERSON   Campus Address SHEL 1106 Zip 2182 Phone 205-996-9486 E-mail eroberson@uab.edu Other websites www.uab.edu/roberson

Faculty Appointment(s) Appointment Type Department Division Rank Primary  Neurology   Neurology Chair Office Associate Professor Secondary  Neurobiology  Neurobiology Associate Professor Center  Neurology   Alzheimer's Disease Center Associate Professor Center  Center for Aging  Center for Aging Associate Professor Center  General Clinical Research Center  Comprehensive Neuroscience Center Associate Professor Center  General Clinical Research Center  Ctr for Clinical & Translational Sci Associate Professor Center  Ctr for Glial Bio in Med  Ctr for Glial Bio in Med Associate Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations Cell, Molecular, & Developmental Biology  Cellular and Molecular Biology Program  Medical Scientist Training Program  Neuroscience  Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine

Biographical Sketch  Dr. Roberson received his A.B. in Molecular Biology with highest honors from Princeton University in 1990. He earned an M.D. and Ph.D in Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, where he studied biochemical mechanisms of learning and memory in the laboratory of Dr. J. David Sweatt. He then moved to the University of California San Francisco for neurology residency. He served as Chief Resident in Neurology at UCSF, where he also completed a clinical fellowship in behavioral neurology with Dr. Bruce Miller. He resumed basic research in the laboratory of Dr. Lennart Mucke at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, studying mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases. He was appointed as Assistant Professor of Neurology at UCSF in 2005. In 2008, he moved to UAB where he is now Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology and the Virginia B. Spencer Scholar in Neuroscience.

Society Memberships Organization Name Position Held Org Link American Academy of Neurology    http://www.aan.com  American Neurological Association    http://www.aneuroa.org  International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment    http://www.alz.org/professionals_and_researchers_istaart.asp  Molecular and Cellular Cognition Society    http://www.molcellcog.org/  Society for Neuroscience    http://www.sfn.org

Research/Clinical Interest Title Neurobiology of Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia Description The Roberson lab studies the neurobiology of two common neurodegenerative disorders, Alzheimer Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia, with a focus on understanding the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that will lead to better treatments. We apply modern neuroscience approaches to study animal and cellular models of these conditions. We have shown that reducing expression of the microtubule-associated protein tau makes the brain resistant to Alzheimer-related impairments, and are using a variety of behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical approaches to better understand this protective effect. We are also studying animal models of frontotemporal dementia to understand how mutations in tau and progranulin cause the social and behavioral dysfunction seen in this condition.

Positions Available Date Posted Position Title 11/15/2012  Synaptic Physiology in Neurodegenerative Disease  A Postdoctoral Fellowship is available in the laboratory of Dr. Erik Roberson at the Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Alabama at Birmingham to study the molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders using synaptic physiology. Our work focuses on the neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia using mouse and cell models. A strong training background in electrophysiology is required, including experience with patch-clamp recordings. Candidates must possess a Ph.D., M.D., or both, and should be highly motivated and creative with a track record of productivity and excellent oral and written communication skills. Please send a curriculum vitae, statement of research interests, and the names and contact information for three references.

Selected Publications  Publication PUBMEDID Roberson ED, Halabisky B, Yoo JW, Yao Y, Chin J, Yan F, Wu T, Hamto P, Devidze N, Yu GY, Palop JJ, Noebels JL, and Mucke L. (2011). Amyloid-beta/Fyn–induced synaptic, network, and cognitive impairments depend on tau levels in multiple mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. J. Neurosci., 31:700–711.  21228179  Rabinovici GD and Roberson ED. (2010). Beyond diagnosis: What biomarkers are teaching us about the “bio”logy of Alzheimer disease. Ann. Neurol. 67:283–285.  20373338  Meilandt WJ, Yu GQ, Chin J, Roberson ED, Palop JJ, Wu T, Scearce-Levie K, Mucke L. Enkephalin elevations contribute to neuronal and behavioral impairments in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. J Neurosci. 2008 May 7;28(19):5007-17.  18463254  Scearce-Levie K, Roberson ED, Gerstein H, Cholfin JA, Mandiyan VS, Shah NM, Rubenstein JL, Mucke L. Abnormal social behaviors in mice lacking Fgf17. Genes Brain Behav. 2008 Apr;7(3):344-54.  17908176  Palop JJ, Chin J, Roberson ED, Wang J, Thwin MT, Bien-Ly N, Yoo J, Ho KO, Yu GQ, Kreitzer A, Finkbeiner S, Noebels JL, Mucke L. Aberrant excitatory neuronal activity and compensatory remodeling of inhibitory hippocampal circuits in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Neuron. 2007 Sep 6;55(5):697-711.  17785178  Roberson ED, Scearce-Levie K, Palop JJ, Yan F, Cheng IH, Wu T, Gerstein H, Yu GQ, Mucke L. Reducing endogenous tau ameliorates amyloid beta-induced deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Science. 2007 May 4;316(5825):750-4.  17478722   Roberson ED, Mucke L. 100 years and counting: prospects for defeating Alzheimer's disease. Science. 2006 Nov 3;314(5800):781-4.  17082448  Roberson ED. Frontotemporal dementia. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2006 Nov;6(6):481-9.  17074283   Mueller-Steiner S, Zhou Y, Arai H, Roberson ED, Sun B, Chen J, Wang X, Yu G, Esposito L, Mucke L, Gan L. Antiamyloidogenic and neuroprotective functions of cathepsin B: implications for Alzheimer's disease. Neuron. 2006 Sep 21;51(6):703-14.  16982417   Roberson ED, Hesse JH, Rose KD, Slama H, Johnson JK, Yaffe K, Forman MS, Miller CA, Trojanowski JQ, Kramer JH, Miller BL. Frontotemporal dementia progresses to death faster than Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2005 Sep 13;65(5):719-25.  16157905  First Prev   1 2 of  2  Next Last

Keywords Neurodegeneration, Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, epilepsy, tau, signaling, plasticity, behavior

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