Christopher M. Olsen, PhD

Associate Professor

Locations

Pharmacology and Toxicology

Contact Information

General Interests

Neuroscience, Addictive Behavior and Novelty Seeking

Education

PhD, Toxicology and Neuroscience, University of Texas, 2004
MS, Texas Tech University, 1998
BA, Baylor University, 1994

Research Experience

Brain Concussion
Brain Injuries
Brain Injury, Chronic
Cocaine-Related Disorders
Exploratory Behavior
Motivation
Opioid-Related Disorders
Substance-Related Disorders

MCW Program / Core Facilities

Neuroscience Research Center

Research Interests

Olsen Lab

Addiction is a chronically relapsing disorder that is strongly modulated by positive and negative environmental factors. Our lab (olsenlab.org) focuses on how these environmental factors can influence drug intake and drug seeking using rat and mouse models of addiction.

We have two major projects to investigate environmental factors and addiction:

Environmental modulation of drug seeking ensembles. Transgenic approaches are used to identify and manipulate cells that are engaged during drug seeking following intravenous drug self-administration. We are studying the effects of positive and negative environmental factors on drug seeking and the activity of cells within drug seeking ensembles.

The impact of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) on addiction and mesocorticolimbic function. This work is done in collaboration with Drs. Brain Stemper and Matthew Budde in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery, respectively. We are examining the effects of mTBI on drug self-administration, drug seeking, and mesocorticolimbic function using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional connectivity.

View the full publication list.

Olsen Lab Image 1

Identification of neuronal ensembles involved in persistent drug seeking. TetTag (green) cells are those engaged during an initial drug seeking session, Fos+ (red) cells are those engaged during a second drug seeking session 2 weeks later.

Olsen Lab Image 2

Quantification of monocytes/microglia. Iba1+ (green) cells are surface rendered for complex analysis to examine long-lasting effect of mild traumatic brain injury on immune cells within the brain. Gray=nuclei (DAPI).

Within-animal comparisons of novelty and cocaine neuronal ensemble overlap in the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.

(Nawarawong NN, Olsen CM.) Behav Brain Res. 2019 Oct 12:112275.
Repeated blast model of mild traumatic brain injury alters oxycodone self-administration and drug seeking.

(Nawarawong NN, Slaker M, Muelbl M, Shah AS, Chiariello R, Nelson LD, Budde MD, Stemper BD, Olsen CM.) Eur J Neurosci. 2019 Aug;50(3):2101-2112.
Effects of Mild Blast Traumatic Brain Injury on Cognitive- and Addiction-Related Behaviors.

(Muelbl MJ, Slaker ML, Shah AS, Nawarawong NN, Gerndt CH, Budde MD, Stemper BD, Olsen CM.) Sci Rep. 2018 07 02;8(1):9941.
Mitochondria-Targeted Honokiol Confers a Striking Inhibitory Effect on Lung Cancer via Inhibiting Complex I Activity.

(Pan J, Lee Y, Cheng G, Zielonka J, Zhang Q, Bajzikova M, Xiong D, Tsaih SW, Hardy M, Flister M, Olsen CM, Wang Y, Vang O, Neuzil J, Myers CR, Kalyanaraman B, You M.) iScience. 2018 May 25;3:192-207.
Acute Clinical Predictors of Symptom Recovery in Emergency Department Patients with Uncomplicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury or Non-Traumatic Brain Injuries.

(Nelson LD, Furger RE, Ranson J, Tarima S, Hammeke TA, Randolph C, Barr WB, Guskiewicz K, Olsen CM, Lerner EB, McCrea MA.) J Neurotrauma. 2018 01 15;35(2):249-259.
Cannabinoid Receptor 1 and Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase Contribute to Operant Sensation Seeking in Mice.

(Helfand AI, Olsen CM, Hillard CJ.) Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Jul 27;18(8).
Prediction of Post-Concussive Behavioral Changes in a Rodent Model Based on Head Rotational Acceleration Characteristics.

(Stemper BD, Shah AS, Chiariello R, Olsen CM, Budde MD, Glavaski-Joksimovic A, McCrea M, Kurpad SN, Pintar FA.) Ann Biomed Eng. 2016 Nov;44(11):3252-3265.
Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors and drugs of abuse: current knowledge and therapeutic opportunities.

(Olsen CM, Liu QS.) Front Biol (Beijing). 2016 Oct;11(5):376-386.
Responses to drugs of abuse and non-drug rewards in leptin deficient ob/ob mice.

(Muelbl MJ, Nawarawong NN, Clancy PT, Nettesheim CE, Lim YW, Olsen CM.) Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016 Jul;233(14):2799-811.
Acute Clinical Predictors of Symptom Recovery from Uncomplicated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) in Emergency Department Patients

(LD Nelson, RE Furger, J Ranson, S Tarima, TA Hammeke, C Randolph, WB Barr, K Guskiewicz, CM Olsen, EB Lerner, and MA McCrea.) Journal of Neurotrauma. (in press).
Characterization of differing time-course of cognitive deficits and emotional changes following rotational traumatic brain injury in the rat

(Stemper B.D., Shah A.S., Budde M.D., Chiariello R., Wilkins N., Olsen C., Mehta P., Kurpad S.N., McCrea M., Pintar F.A. .) 2015 IRCOBI Conference Proceedings. 198-207.
Prediction of post-concussive behavioral changes in a rodent model based on head rotational acceleration characteristics (in press)

(Stemper, BD, AS Shah, R Chiariello, CM Olsen, MD Budde, A Glavaski-Joksimovic, M McCrea, SN Kurpad, FA Pintar .) Annals of Biomedical Engineering. .

Christopher M. Olsen, PhD