Jacob Raber, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, School of Medicine
  • Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences Students, School of Medicine
  • Cancer Biology Graduate Program, School of Medicine
  • Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine
  • Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, School of Medicine
  • Behavioral Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine

Biography

Our research focuses on effects of genetic factors, such as apoE and APP, and environmental factors, including irradiation, second-hand smoke, immunotherapy, a high-fat diet, environmental toxins, viral exposures, and other stressors, on brain structure and function in experimental mouse models of human neurological diseases. Based on what we learn in the mouse models, we try to develop tests and treatment strategies to improve brain function in humans suffering from these diseases. Routinely, we use a combination of behavioral, neuroendocrinological, pharmacological, neurochemical, immunohistochemical, cellular, and molecular approaches. As part of collaborative efforts, we include unibiased omics approaches, including metabolomics, lipidocomics, and the analyses of the gut microbiome, to determine whether the behavioral and cognitive alterations are associated with specific pathway alterations. We developed humanized versions of the mouse object recognition and spatial navigation tests and assess whether they are sensitive to detect effects of sex and apoE4 on cognition in health and disease. These tests might be valuable in identifying biomarkers of cognitive function and susceptibility to cognitive impairments. 

Publications

Selected publications

  • Impey, S., Jopson, T., Pelz, C., Tafessu, A., Fareh, F., Zuloaga, D., Marzulla, T., Riparip, L.-K., Stewart, B., Rosi, S., Turker, M.S., Raber, J. (2016) Short- and long-term effects of 56Fe irradiation on cognition and hippocampal DNA methylation and gene expression. BMC Genomics, 17, 825.
  • Impey, S., Jopson, T, Pelz, C., Tafessu, A, Fareh, F., Zuloaga, D., Marzulla, T., Riparip, L., Stewart, B., Rosi, S, Turker, M.S., Raber, J. (2017) Bi-directional and shared epigenomic signatures following proton and 56Fe irradiation. Scientific Reports, 7, 10277.
  • Johnson, L.A., Torres, E.R.S., Impey, S., Stevens, J.F., Raber, J. (2017) Apolipoprotein E4 and insulin resistance interact to impair cognition and alter the epigenome and metabolome. Scientific Reports, 7, 43701.
  • McGinnis, G.J., Friedman, D., Young, K.H., Torres, E.R., Thomas Jr., C.R., Gough, M.J., Raber, J. (2016) Neuroinflammatory and cognitive consequences of combined radiation and immunotherapy in a novel preclinical model. Oncotarget, 8, 9155-9173.
  • Villasana, L.E., Weber, S., Akineyeke, T., Raber, J. (2016) Genotype differences in anxiety and fear learning and memory of WT and ApoE4 mice associated with enhanced generation of hippocampal reactive oxygen species. Journal of Neurochemistry, 138, 896-908.
  •  Impey S, Pelz C, Tafessu A, Marzulla T, Turker MS, Raber J (2016) Proton irradiation induces persistent and tissue-specific DNA methylation changes in the left ventricle and hippocampus. BMC Genomics 17, 273.
  • Kundu, P., Stagaman, K., Kasschau, K., Holden, S., Shulzhenko, N., Sharpton, T.J., Raber, J. (2022) Fecal implants from AppNL-G-F and AppNL-G-F/E4 donor mice sufficient to induce behavioral phenotypes in germ-free mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16, 791128.
  • O’Niel, A., Pederson, A., Saltonstall, E., Nguyen, K, Pantoja, M., Chaudhary, M., Sandholm, P., Yoon, E., Harrison, H.F., Boutros, S., Hirch, A.J., Raber, J. (2024) Effects of COVID-19 Virus-like particles on behavioral and cognitive performance of human apolipoprotein E targeted replacement mice. Frontiers in Immunology, section Inflammation, 15, 1473366.
  • Raber, J., et al. (2024) Effects of 5-ion 6-beam sequential irradiation in the presence and absence of hindlimb or control hindlimb unloading on behavioral performances and plasma metabolic pathways of Fischer 344 rats. Frontiers in Physiology, 15, 1486767.
  • Chaklai, A., Rhea,E.M., O’Niel, A., Babin, A., Weaver, R., Pemberton, S., Banks, W.A., Raber, J. (2024) Effects of a high-fat diet on cognition and brain distribution of intranasal insulin in E3 and E4 male and female mice. Scientific Report, 14, 18641.
  • Raber, J., Holden, S., Kessler, K., Glaeser, B., McQuesten, C., Chaudhari, M., Stenzel, F., Lenarcyk, M., Leonard, S.W., Morre, J., Choi, J., Kronenberg, A. Borg, A., Kwok, A., Stevens, J.F., Olsen, C., Willey, J.S., Bobe, G., Minnier, J., Raber, J. (2024)  Effects of photon irradiation in the presence and absence of hindlimb unloading on the behavioral performance and metabolic pathways in the plasma of Fischer rats. Front. Physiol. 14, 1316186.
  • Chaklai, A., O’Niel. A., Goel. S., Margolies. N., Krenik. D., Perez. R., Kessler. K., Saltonstall. E., Yoon. H.K., Pantoja, M., Stagama,. K., Kasschau, K., Unni, V., Duvoisin, R., Shaprton, T., Raber, J. (2024)  Effects of Paraquat, Dextran Sulfate Sodium, and Irradiation on Behavioral and Cognitive Performance and the Gut Microbiome in A53T and A53T-L444P Mice. Genes 2024;15:282.
  • Das, A., Holden, S., Borovicka, J., Icardi, J., O’Niel, A., Chaklai, A., Patel, D., Patel, R., Kaech Petrie, S., Raber, J., Dana, H. (2023) Large-scale recording of neuronal activity in freely-moving mice at cellular resolution. Nature Communications, 14, 6399.
  • Raber, J., Stagaman,K.,Kasschau, K.-D., Davenport, C., Lopes, L., Nguyen, D., Torres, E.R.,Sharpton, T.J., Kisby, G.  (2023) Behavioral and Cognitive Performance Following Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke (SHS) from Tobacco Products Associated with Oxidative-Stress-Induced DNA Damage and Repair and Disruption of the Gut Microbiome. Genes 14, 1702.
  • Chaklai, A., Canaday, P., O’Niel, A., Cucinotta, F.A., Sloop, A., Gladstone, D., Pogue, B., Zhang, R., Sunnerberg, J., Kheirolla, A., Thomas, Jr., CR., Hooopes, P.J., Raber, J. (2023) Effects of UHDR and conventional irradiation on behavioral and cognitive performance and the percentage of Ly6G+ CD45+ Cell in the hippocampus. Int J Mol Sci 24, 12497.
  • Impey, S., Pelz, C., Riparip, L.-K., Tafessu, A., Fareh, F., Zuloaga, D.G., Marzulla, T., Stewart, B., Rosi, S., Turker, M.S., Raber, J. (2023) Postsynaptic density radiation signature following space irradiation. Frontiers in Physiology, section Environmental, Aviation and Space Physiology, 14, 1215535.
  • Kessler, K., Giannisis, A., Bial, G., Foquet, L., Nielsen, H.M., Raber, J. (2023) Behavioral and cognitive performance of humanized APOEε3/ε3 liver mice in relation to plasma apolipoprotein E levels. Scientific Reports, 13, 1728.

Publications

  • Cognition and behavior in neurofibromatosis type 1

    Genes and Development
    1. David H. Gutmann
    2. Corina Anastasaki
    3. Aditi Gupta
    4. Yang Hou
    5. Stephanie M. Morris
    6. Jonathan M. Payne
    7. Jacob Raber
    8. Seth M. Tomchik
    9. Linda Van Aelst
    10. James A. Walker
    11. Kaleb H. Yohay

  • Amelioration of age-related cognitive decline and anxiety in mice by Centella asiatica extract varies by sex, dose and mode of administration

    Frontiers in Aging
    1. Nora E. Gray
    2. Wyatt Hack
    3. Mikah S. Brandes
    4. Jonathan A. Zweig
    5. Liping Yang
    6. Luke Marney
    7. Jaewoo Choi
    8. Armando Alcazar Magana
    9. Natasha Cerruti
    10. Janis McFerrin
    11. Seiji Koike
    12. Thuan Nguyen
    13. Jacob Raber
    14. Joseph F. Quinn
    15. Claudia S. Maier
    16. Amala Soumyanath

  • Centella asiatica Promotes Antioxidant Gene Expression and Mitochondrial Oxidative Respiration in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

    Pharmaceuticals
    1. Payel Kundu
    2. Kanon Yasuhara
    3. Mikah S. Brandes
    4. Jonathan A. Zweig
    5. Cody J. Neff
    6. Sarah Holden
    7. Kat Kessler
    8. Steven Matsumoto
    9. Halina Offner
    10. Carin S. Waslo
    11. Arthur Vandenbark
    12. Amala Soumyanath
    13. Larry S. Sherman
    14. Jacob Raber
    15. Nora E. Gray
    16. Rebecca I. Spain

  • Effects of 5-ion 6-beam sequential irradiation in the presence and absence of hindlimb or control hindlimb unloading on behavioral performances and plasma metabolic pathways of Fischer 344 rats

    Frontiers in Physiology
    1. Jacob Raber
    2. Mitali Chaudhari
    3. Alexis De la Torre
    4. Sarah Holden
    5. Kat Kessler
    6. Breanna Glaeser
    7. Marek Lenarczyk
    8. Scott Willem Leonard
    9. Alexander Borg
    10. Andy Kwok
    11. Chirayu Patel
    12. Amy Kronenberg
    13. Christopher M. Olsen
    14. Jeffrey S. Willey
    15. Jeffrey Morré
    16. Jaewoo Choi
    17. Jan Frederik Stevens
    18. Gerd Bobe
    19. Jessica Minnier
    20. John Baker

  • Effects of a high-fat diet on cognition and brain distribution of intranasal insulin in E3 and E4 male and female mice

    Scientific Reports
    1. Ariel Chaklai
    2. Elizabeth M. Rhea
    3. Abigail O’Niel
    4. Alice Babin
    5. Riley Weaver
    6. Sarah Pemberton
    7. William A. Banks
    8. Jacob Raber

  • Effects of COVID-19 virus-like particles on the behavioral and cognitive performance of human apolipoprotein E targeted replacement mice

    Frontiers in immunology
    1. Abigail O’Niel
    2. Alexandra Pederson
    3. Elizabeth Saltontall
    4. Kayla Nguyen
    5. Monzerrat Pantoja
    6. Mitali Chaudhari
    7. Phoebe Sandholm
    8. Eric Yoon
    9. Henry F. Harrison
    10. Sydney Boutros
    11. Alec J. Hirsch
    12. Jacob Raber

  • Effects of Paraquat, Dextran Sulfate Sodium, and Irradiation on Behavioral and Cognitive Performance and the Gut Microbiome in A53T and A53T-L444P Mice

    Genes
    1. Ariel Chaklai
    2. Abigail O’Neil
    3. Shrey Goel
    4. Nick Margolies
    5. Destine Krenik
    6. Ruby Perez
    7. Kat Kessler
    8. Elizabeth Staltontall
    9. Hong Ki Yoon
    10. Montzerrat Pantoja
    11. Keaton Stagaman
    12. Kristin Kasschau
    13. Vivek Unni
    14. Robert Duvoisin
    15. Thomas Sharpton
    16. Jacob Raber

  • Novel Techniques for Mapping DNA Damage and Repair in the Brain

    International journal of molecular sciences
    1. Jenna Hedlich-Dwyer
    2. Joanne S. Allard
    3. Veronica E. Mulgrave
    4. Glen E. Kisby
    5. Jacob Raber
    6. Natalie R. Gassman

  • A G1528C Hadha knock-in mouse model recapitulates aspects of human clinical phenotypes for long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency

    Communications Biology
    1. Garen Gaston
    2. Shannon Babcock
    3. Renee Ryals
    4. Gabriela Elizondo
    5. Tiffany DeVine
    6. Dahlia Wafai
    7. William Packwood
    8. Sarah Holden
    9. Jacob Raber
    10. Jonathan R. Lindner
    11. Mark E. Pennesi
    12. Cary O. Harding
    13. Melanie B. Gillingham

  • Age, sex, and apolipoprotein E isoform alter contextual fear learning, neuronal activation, and baseline DNA damage in the hippocampus

    Molecular Psychiatry
    1. Sydney Weber Boutros
    2. Benjamin Zimmerman
    3. Sydney C. Nagy
    4. Vivek K. Unni
    5. Jacob Raber

  • Behavioral and Cognitive Performance Following Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke (SHS) from Tobacco Products Associated with Oxidative-Stress-Induced DNA Damage and Repair and Disruption of the Gut Microbiome

    Genes
    1. Jacob Raber
    2. Keaton Stagaman
    3. Kristin D. Kasschau
    4. Conor Davenport
    5. Leilani Lopes
    6. Dennis Nguyen
    7. Eileen Ruth Torres
    8. Thomas J. Sharpton
    9. Glen Kisby

  • Behavioral and cognitive performance of humanized APOEε3/ε3 liver mice in relation to plasma apolipoprotein E levels

    Scientific Reports
    1. Kat Kessler
    2. Andreas Giannisis
    3. Greg Bial
    4. Lander Foquet
    5. Henrietta M. Nielsen
    6. Jacob Raber

  • Blood-brain barrier penetration of non-replicating SARS-CoV-2 and S1 variants of concern induce neuroinflammation which is accentuated in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

    Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
    1. Michelle A. Erickson
    2. Aric F. Logsdon
    3. Elizabeth M. Rhea
    4. Kim M. Hansen
    5. Sarah J. Holden
    6. William A. Banks
    7. Jessica L. Smith
    8. Cody German
    9. Susan A. Farr
    10. John E. Morley
    11. Riley R. Weaver
    12. Alec J. Hirsch
    13. Andrej Kovac
    14. Eva Kontsekova
    15. Kristen K. Baumann
    16. Mohamed A. Omer
    17. Jacob Raber

  • Cells with cFos and 53BP1 immunoreactivity in the CA1 region of the hippocampus from a young female apolipoprotein E4 (apoE) targeted replacement mouse 1.5 h after fear conditioning

    Molecular Psychiatry
    1. Sydney Weber Boutros
    2. Benjamin Zimmerman
    3. Sydney C. Nagy
    4. Vivek K. Unni
    5. Jacob Raber

  • Effects of photon irradiation in the presence and absence of hindlimb unloading on the behavioral performance and metabolic pathways in the plasma of Fischer rats

    Frontiers in Physiology
    1. Jacob Raber
    2. Sarah Holden
    3. Kat Kessler
    4. Breanna Glaeser
    5. Chloe McQuesten
    6. Mitali Chaudhari
    7. Fiona Stenzel
    8. Marek Lenarczyk
    9. Scott Willem Leonard
    10. Jeffrey Morré
    11. Jaewoo Choi
    12. Amy Kronenberg
    13. Alexander Borg
    14. Andy Kwok
    15. Jan Frederik Stevens
    16. Christopher Olsen
    17. Jeffrey S. Willey
    18. Gerd Bobe
    19. Jessica Minnier
    20. John E. Baker

  • Effects of UHDR and Conventional Irradiation on Behavioral and Cognitive Performance and the Percentage of Ly6G+ CD45+ Cells in the Hippocampus

    International journal of molecular sciences
    1. Ariel Chaklai
    2. Pamela Canaday
    3. Abigail O’Niel
    4. Francis A. Cucinotta
    5. Austin Sloop
    6. David Gladstone
    7. Brian Pogue
    8. Rongxiao Zhang
    9. Jacob Sunnerberg
    10. Alireza Kheirollah
    11. Charles R. Thomas
    12. P. Jack Hoopes
    13. Jacob Raber

  • Human cerebrospinal fluid contains diverse lipoprotein subspecies enriched in proteins implicated in central nervous system health

    Science Advances
    1. Nathaniel J. Merrill
    2. W. Sean Davidson
    3. Yi He
    4. Ivo Díaz Ludovico
    5. Snigdha Sarkar
    6. Madelyn R. Berger
    7. Jason E. McDermott
    8. Linda J. Van Eldik
    9. Donna M. Wilcock
    10. Matthew E. Monroe
    11. Jennifer E. Kyle
    12. Kimberley D. Bruce
    13. Jay W. Heinecke
    14. Tomas Vaisar
    15. Jacob Raber
    16. Joseph F. Quinn
    17. John T. Melchior

  • Large-scale recording of neuronal activity in freely-moving mice at cellular resolution

    Nature communications
    1. Aniruddha Das
    2. Sarah Holden
    3. Julie Borovicka
    4. Jacob Icardi
    5. Abigail O’Niel
    6. Ariel Chaklai
    7. Davina Patel
    8. Rushik Patel
    9. Stefanie Kaech Petrie
    10. Jacob Raber
    11. Hod Dana

  • Neuropathological Examination of Mice Chronically Exposed to Secondhand Smoke

    Military medicine
    1. Leilani A. Lopes
    2. Conor Davenport
    3. Estefania Ramos
    4. Anna Chlebowski
    5. Anna Mikami
    6. Jacob Raber
    7. Eileen Ruth Torres
    8. Glen Kisby