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).

Comparison of prefrontal cortex sucrose seeking ensembles engaged in multiple seeking sessions: Context is key.

(Jessen K, Slaker Bennett ML, Liu S, Olsen CM.) J Neurosci Res. 2022 04;100(4):1008-1029 PMID: 35137974 PMCID: PMC8940716 02/10/2022
Does Traumatic Brain Injury Cause Risky Substance Use or Substance Use Disorder?

(Olsen CM, Corrigan JD.) Biol Psychiatry. 2022 03 01;91(5):421-437 PMID: 34561027 PMCID: PMC8776913 09/26/2021
Effects of 5-Ion Beam Irradiation and Hindlimb Unloading on Metabolic Pathways in Plasma and Brain of Behaviorally Tested WAG/Rij Rats.

(Raber J, Holden S, Sudhakar R, Hall R, Glaeser B, Lenarczyk M, Rockwell K, Nawarawong N, Sterrett J, Perez R, Leonard SW, Morré J, Choi J, Kronenberg A, Borg A, Kwok A, Stevens JF, Olsen CM, Willey JS, Bobe G, Baker J.) Front Physiol. 2021;12:746509 PMID: 34646164 PMCID: PMC8503608 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85116920048 10/15/2021
Within-animal comparisons of novelty and cocaine neuronal ensemble overlap in the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.

(Nawarawong NN, Olsen CM.) Behav Brain Res. 2020 02 03;379:112275 PMID: 31614186 PMCID: PMC7937550 10/16/2019
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 08;50(3):2101-2112 PMID: 30456793 PMCID: PMC6814147 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85058419226 11/21/2018
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 PMID: 29967344 PMCID: PMC6028456 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85049369592 07/04/2018
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 PMID: 30428319 PMCID: PMC6137433 11/15/2018
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 PMID: 29017409 PMCID: PMC5784791 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85041086882 10/12/2017
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) PMID: 28749428 PMCID: PMC5578025 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85026663350 07/28/2017
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 09/06/2017
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) 09/06/2017
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 PMID: 28974957 PMCID: PMC5617368 10/05/2017

Christopher M. Olsen, PhD