Quentin Pittman

Dr Quentin Pittman      

Adjunct Professor

Education:
BA and Science - Major in Biology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, 1972
PhD - Medical Physiology, University of Calgary, 1976

Contact Information:

Website: https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/quentin-pittman

Research: Neuroimmune-endocrine interactions

Research Interests / Laboratory Techniques

Research has been focused in 4 major areas: 1. Effects of inflammation on the brain that lead to behavioral co-morbidities; 2. Cellular actions of peptides, mediators and neurotransmitters; 3. Early life programming of the brain by inflammation; 4. Febrile seizures. We carry out analyses at both the whole animal level, where we study behavior and interactions between the brain and the periphery and at the cellular level where we use patch clamp approaches in vitro to study synaptic function in health and disease states.

Selected Recent Publications

1. VINCENTINI FA, SZAMOSI JC, ROSSI L, GRIFFIN L, NIEVES K, BIHAN D, LEWIS AI, PITTMAN QJ, SWAIN MG, SURETTE MG, HIROTA SA, SHARKEY KA (2022)  Colitis-associated microbiota drives changes in behaviour in male mice in the absence of inflammation. Brain Behav Immun 102:266-278

2. VICENTINI FA, MATHEWS AJ, PITTMAN QJ, SWAIN MG, SHARKEY KA, HIROTA SA.  (2021) Behavioural adaptations after antibiotic treatment in male mice are reversed by activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Brain Behavior Immun.  Nov; 98:317-329. doi: 0.1016/j.bbi.2021.08.228

3. ACHARJEE S, GORDON PMK, LEE BH, READ J, WORKENTINE ML, SHARKEY KA, PITTMAN QJ.  (2021) Characterization of microglial transcriptomes in the brain and spinal cord of mice in early and late experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis using a RiboTag strategy. Sci Rep Jul 12;11(1):14319. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-93590-1

4. GOMEZ CD, ACHARJEE S, LEWIS ML, READ J, PITTMAN QJ.  (2021) Increased excitatory synaptic transmission associated with adult seizure vulnerability induced by early-life inflammation in mice.  Journal Neuroscience May 19;41(20):4367-4377   doi: 0.1523/JNEUROSCI.2667-20.2021

5. VECCHIARELLI HA, MORENA M, KEENAN CM, CHIANG V, TAN K, QIAO M, LEITL K, SANTORI A, PITTMAN QJ, SHARKEY, KA, HILL, MN (2021) Comorbid anxiety-like behavior in a rat model of colitis is mediated by an upregulation of corticolimbic fatty acid amide hydrolase. Neuropsychopharmacology 46:992-1003

6. RIBAROVSKA AK, HUTCHINSON MR, PITTMAN QJ, PARIANTE C, SPENCER SJ. (2021) Gender inequality in publishing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brain Behavior Immun. 91:1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.11.022.

7. ROSIN JM, MARSTERS CM, MALIK F, FAR R, ADNANI L, SCHUURMANS C, PITTMAN QJ, KURRASCH, DM (2021) Embryonic microglia interact with hypothalamic radial glia during development and upregulate the TAM receptors MERTK and AXL following an insult. Cell Reports 34:108587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108587

8. MARSTERS CM, NESAN D, FAR R, KLENIN N, PITTMAN, QJ, KURRASCH, DM (2020) Embryonic microglia influence developing hypothalamic glial populations.  J Neuroinflammation 17(1): 146. doi: 10.1186/s12974-020-01811-7

9. COLANGELI R, MORENA M, PITTMAN QJ, HILL MN, TESKEY,GC (2020) Anandamide Signaling Augmentation Rescues Amygdala Synaptic Function and Comorbid Emotional Alterations in a Model of Epilepsy. J Neurosci 40: 6068-6081

10. YASMIN F, COLANGELI R, MORENA M, FILIPSKI S, STELT M, PITTMAN QJ, HILLARD C, TESKEY GC, MCEWEN B, HILL M, CHATTARJI S (2020) Stress-induced modulation of endocannabinoid signaling leads to delayed strengthening of synaptic connectivity in the amygdala. PNAS. 117(1), 650-655.doi:10.1073

11. GOMEZ CD,  READ J, ACHARJEE S, PITTMAN QJ (2019) Early life Inflammation Increases CA1 Pyramidal Neuron excitability in a Sex and Age Dependent Manner through a Chloride Homeostasis Disruption. J Neurosci. 39: 7244-7259