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Faculty Detail Faculty Entry   
Name ERIK ROBERSON  
Campus Address SHEL 1106 Zip 2182
Phone 205-996-9486
E-mail eroberson@uab.edu" id="FacultyDetail1EmailAddress"><a href="mailto:eroberson@uab.edu">eroberson@uab.edu</a>
URL www.uab.edu/roberson
 
 

Department Affiliations(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
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
Primary  Neurology   Neurology Chair Office Associate Professor
Secondary  Neurobiology  Neurobiology Associate Professor

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.

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

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