Mary M. Heinricher, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine
  • Senior Associate Dean, Research, Office of the Dean, School of Medicine
  • Vice Chair, Research, Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine
  • M.D./Ph.D. Program Committee, School of Medicine

Biography

The interest of this laboratory is on brainstem mechanisms involved in pain modulation. Our focus is on opioid-sensitive circuits within the rostral ventral medulla, which is a crucial element in a pain-modulating network with links in the midbrain, medulla and spinal cord. This network contributes to the variability in pain sensitivity seen in different situations (for example under conditions of fear or extreme stress), and it is an important substrate for opioids and other analgesic drugs such as cannabinoids. We use single cell recording in combination with pharmacological tools to analyze how this system is activated, and we have identified two distinct classes of pain modulating neurons. ON cells are directly sensitive to opioids, and we recently showed that these neurons facilitate nociceptive transmission. OFF-cells exert a net inhibitory effect on nociception, and we were able to demonstrate that disinhibition of these neurons is central to the antinociceptive actions of opioids within the medulla. Currently, we are interested in identifying neurotransmitters that activate these two cell classes differentially to promote or suppress pain. We are also interested in how this modulatory system is activated under physiological conditions, and are looking at the inputs from limbic forebrain structures such as the hypothalamus to the rostral ventral medulla in an attempt to investigate this issue.

In addition to the degrees listed below, Dr. Heinricher was a postdoctoral fellow in neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco, from 1983-86.

Dr. Heinricher holds joint faculty appointments in the Departments of Behavioral Neuroscience and Physiology and Pharmacology. Previous positions include Associate Professor, Depts. of Neurological Surgery, and Physiology and Pharmacology, OHSU, Portland, Ore. (1995-2001); Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, Calif. (1987-1995); Research Associate, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, Calif. (1986-87); Instructor, Department of Psychology, Division of Continuing Education, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill. (1982-83).

Her non-academic interests include native plants and ethnobotany. 

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 1977, University of Missouri
    • Ph.D., 1983, Northwestern University

Publications

Publications

  • CFA-treated mice induce hyperalgesia in healthy mice via an olfactory mechanism

    European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom)
    1. Yangmiao Zhang
    2. Wentai Luo
    3. Mary M. Heinricher
    4. Andrey E. Ryabinin

  • The headache research priorities

    Headache
    1. Todd J. Schwedt
    2. Amynah A. Pradhan
    3. Michael L. Oshinsky
    4. Mitchell F. Brin
    5. Howard Rosen
    6. Nim Lalvani
    7. Andrew Charles
    8. Messoud Ashina
    9. Thien Phu Do
    10. Rami Burstein
    11. Amy A. Gelfand
    12. David W. Dodick
    13. Patricia Pozo-Rosich
    14. Richard B. Lipton
    15. Jessica Ailani
    16. Christina L. Szperka
    17. Larry Charleston
    18. Kathleen B. Digre
    19. Andrew F. Russo
    20. Dawn C. Buse
    21. Scott W. Powers
    22. Cristina Tassorelli
    23. Peter J. Goadsby
    24. Messoud Ashina
    25. Mitchell F. Brin
    26. Catherine D. Chong
    27. Roberto De Icco
    28. Thien Phu Do
    29. Debbie Hay
    30. Nazia Karsan
    31. Delphine Magis
    32. Ron van Oosterhout
    33. Shuu Jiun Wang
    34. Bendik Winsvold
    35. Andrew Charles
    36. Greg Dussor
    37. Phil Holland
    38. Else Tolner
    39. Alexandra Sinclair
    40. Kirk Johnson
    41. William Renthal
    42. Rami Burstein
    43. Amy A. Gelfand
    44. Simon Akerman
    45. K. C. Brennan
    46. Meghan Buzby
    47. Andrea Harriott
    48. Rigmor Jensen
    49. Arn van den Maagdenberg
    50. Mary Heinricher

  • The potential role of chronic pain and the polytrauma clinical triad in predicting prodromal PD

    Clinical Parkinsonism and Related Disorders
    1. Lee E. Neilson
    2. Nadir M. Balba
    3. Jonathan E. Elliott
    4. Gregory D. Scott
    5. Scott D. Mist
    6. Matthew P. Butler
    7. Mary M. Heinricher
    8. Miranda M. Lim

  • Brainstem pain-modulating neurons are sensitized to visual light in persistent inflammation

    Neurobiology of Pain
    1. Gwen Hryciw
    2. Jennifer Wong
    3. Mary M. Heinricher

  • Direct and Indirect Nociceptive Input from the Trigeminal Dorsal Horn to Pain-Modulating Neurons in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla

    Journal of Neuroscience
    1. Caitlynn C. De Preter
    2. Mary M. Heinricher

  • Photosensitivity Is Associated with Chronic Pain following Traumatic Brain Injury

    Journal of neurotrauma
    1. Nadir M. Balba
    2. Alisha A. Mcbride
    3. Megan L. Callahan
    4. Scott D. Mist
    5. Kim Jones
    6. Matthew P. Butler
    7. Miranda Lim
    8. Mary M. Heinricher

  • Different Methods for Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnosis Influence Presence and Symptoms of Post-Concussive Syndrome in United States Veterans

    Journal of neurotrauma
    1. Jonathan E. Elliott
    2. Nadir M. Balba
    3. Alisha A. McBride
    4. Megan L. Callahan
    5. Kendall T. Street
    6. Matthew P. Butler
    7. Mary M. Heinricher
    8. Miranda M. Lim

  • Physiological properties of pain-modulating neurons in rostral ventromedial medulla in female rats, and responses to opioid administration

    Neurobiology of Pain
    1. Gwen Hryciw
    2. Caitlynn C. De Preter
    3. Jennifer Wong
    4. Mary M. Heinricher

  • Plasticity in the link between pain-transmitting and pain-modulating systems in acute and persistent inflammation

    Journal of Neuroscience
    1. Qiliang Chen
    2. Mary M. Heinricher

  • Increased sleep disturbances and pain in veterans with comorbid traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder

    Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine
    1. Nadir M. Balba
    2. Jonathan E. Elliott
    3. Kris B. Weymann
    4. Ryan A. Opel
    5. Joseph W. Duke
    6. Barry S. Oken
    7. Benjamin J. Morasco
    8. Mary M. Heinricher
    9. Miranda M. Lim

  • Anterior cingulate cortex contributes to alcohol withdrawal- induced and socially transferred hyperalgesia

    eNeuro
    1. Monique L. Smith
    2. Andre T. Walcott
    3. Mary M. Heinricher
    4. Andrey E. Ryabinin

  • Optogenetic evidence for a direct circuit linking nociceptive transmission through the parabrachial complex with pain-modulating neurons of the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM)

    eNeuro
    1. Qi Liang Chen
    2. Zachary Roeder
    3. Ming Hua Li
    4. Yang Miao Zhang
    5. Susan L. Ingram
    6. Mary M. Heinricher

  • A possible neural mechanism for photosensitivity in chronic pain

    Pain
    1. Melissa E. Martenson
    2. Omar I. Halawa
    3. Karen J. Tonsfeldt
    4. Charlene A. Maxwell
    5. Nora Hammack
    6. Scott D. Mist
    7. Mark E. Pennesi
    8. Robert M. Bennett
    9. Kim M. Mauer
    10. Kim D. Jones
    11. Mary M. Heinriche

  • Distinct pathways for norepinephrine- and opioid-triggered antinociception from the amygdala

    European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom)
    1. J. J. Maire
    2. L. N. Close
    3. M. M. Heinricher
    4. N. R. Selden

  • Parabrachial complex links pain transmission to descending pain modulation

    Pain
    1. Zachary Roeder
    2. Qiliang Chen
    3. Sophia Davis
    4. Jonathan D. Carlson
    5. Domenico Tupone
    6. Mary M. Heinricher

  • Social transfer of pain in mice

    Science Advances
    1. Monique L. Smith
    2. Caroline M. Hostetler
    3. Mary M. Heinricher
    4. Andrey E. Ryabinin

  • Neuropeptide Y in the rostral ventromedial medulla reverses inflammatory and nerve injury hyperalgesia in rats via non-selective excitation of local neurons

    Neuroscience
    1. D. R. Cleary
    2. Z. Roeder
    3. R. Elkhatib
    4. M. M. Heinricher

  • Adaptations in responsiveness of brainstem pain-modulating neurons in acute compared with chronic inflammation

    Pain
    1. Daniel R. Cleary
    2. Mary M. Heinricher