Dr. Robert Aukema
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Research. During my PhD training in Dr. Matthew Hill's laboratory I studied the spatial, temporal, and circuit- specific patterns of activation of basolateral amygdala neurons during exposure to stress. I am now a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Kerry Ressler's lab at McLean Hospital (Harvard University) studying the molecular identity of stress-responsive neurons and how prior stress exposure can influence the development of enhanced or persistent fear memory.
Hobbies. Outside of the lab, I am a whole-hearted fan of the mountains, my 2006 Hyundai Sante-Fe, the squash court, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Favourite paper. “Organization of valence-encoding and projection-defined neurons in the basolateral amygdala” (Beyeler et al, 2018; PubMed link). A beautiful and detailed anatomical description of three projection neuron populations in the amygdala, and how they interact to encode valence of stimuli.
Publications
SELECT PUBLICATIONS Endocannabinoids, cannabinoids and the regulation of anxiety Petrie GN, Nastase AS, Aukema RJ, Hill MN (2021) Neuropharmacology 195:108626 LINK Up-regulation of Anandamide Hydrolysis in the Basolateral Complex of the Amygdala Reduces Fear Memory Expression and Indices of Stress and Anxiety. Morena M, Aukema RJ, Leitl K, Rashid A, Vecchiarelli HA, Josselyn SA, Hill MN (2019). Journal of Neuroscience 39(7), 1275-1292. LINK Protective Effects of Elevated Anandamide on Stress and Fear-related Behaviors: Translational Evidence from Humans and Mice Mayo LM, Asratian A, Linde J, Holm L, Natt D, Augier G, Stensson N, Vecchiarelli HA, Balsevich G, Aukema RJ, Ghafouri B, Spagnolo PA, Lee FS, Hill MN, Heilig M (2020) Molecular Psychiatry 25(5):993-1005 LINK Full list of publications Awards
I am extremely grateful to have received funding support from:
education
I received my undergraduate degree (B.Sc. 2012-2016) at Carleton University in Ottawa, ON, where I completed an Honor’s Thesis in Dr. Alfonso Abizaid’s lab – a place that first truly fuelled my interest in neuroscience. |
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Research funded by Brain Canada, BONF, CFI, CIHR, NIH and NSERC. Many thanks to the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Mathison Centre, and Alberta Children's Hospital for their support.
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