Sue A. Aicher, Ph.D.

  • Professor of Chemical Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine
  • Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine
  • Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Aicher has a long-standing interest in primary afferent sensory systems and how sensory information leads to physiological and behavioral changes in the organism. She has done extensive work using various histological methods and is recognized for her anatomical studies of neural circuits. Her training in psychology and behavior informs her approach to seeking understanding of how neural circuits modulate behavior. The lab focuses on the cellular mechanism underlying normal and pathophysiological functions in neural circuits including pain and autonomic reflex pathways, as well as neural substrates of addiction. These studies use a variety of techniques including tract tracing, multi-label immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy, behavioral and physiological measurements, and single neuron activity in the brain.  Dr. Aicher also collaborates extensively with colleagues at OHSU within her department, across OHSU, the US, and in Australia. 

The Aicher lab is currently funded by grants from the National Eye Institute; the National Institute on Drug Abuse; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; and the National Institute of Mental Health.

Grant #s:  R33 EY032468 (Aicher. Galor, co-PIs); U01 EY024680 (Aicher, Morgans, Largent-Milnes, co-PIs);  R01 DA055645 (Sorg, Bronw, Aicher, co-PI); R01 HL146833 (Habecker, PI); RF1 MH127343 (Ribelayga, Morgans, Massey, Aicher, co-PIs)

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • Ph.D., 1989, University of Iowa

Memberships and associations:

  • Editorial Board, The Journal of Comparative Neurology
  • Editorial Board, Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy

Areas of interest

  • Pain pathways & mechanisms
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Neural substrates of addiction

Publications

Publications

  • Sex differences in photophobic behaviors following cortical spreading depression in rats

    Cephalalgia
    1. Manvir Kaur
    2. Nicholas A. Ward
    3. Kelly L. Karlage
    4. Catherine W. Morgans
    5. Sue A. Aicher
    6. Tally M. Largent-Milnes
  • Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) increase in trigeminal ganglion neurons in female rats after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)-like corneal abrasion

    Neurobiology of Pain
    1. Clem Gunter
    2. Cody L. Jiang
    3. Shae O. Zeimantz
    4. Deborah M. Hegarty
    5. Catherine W. Morgans
    6. Tally M. Largent-Milnes
    7. Sue A. Aicher
  • Hypertension-induced heart failure disrupts cardiac sympathetic innervation

    American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology
    1. Arianna Scalco
    2. Ethan N. Lee
    3. Morgan A. Johnson
    4. Michelle L. Sorensen
    5. Thomas N. Hilton
    6. Riley K. Omonaka
    7. Shae Zeimantz
    8. Sue A. Aicher
    9. William R. Woodward
    10. Beth A. Habecker
  • Ischemia-reperfusion myocardial infarction induces remodeling of left cardiac-projecting stellate ganglia neurons

    American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology
    1. Madeleine S. Barrett
    2. Temerity C. Bauer
    3. Minghua Li
    4. Deborah M. Hegarty
    5. Clarissa M.D. Mota
    6. Chimezie J. Amaefuna
    7. Susan Ingram
    8. Beth A. Habecker
    9. Sue A. Aicher
  • Perineuronal Nets in the Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex Alter Hippocampal–Prefrontal Oscillations and Reshape Cocaine Self-Administration Memories

    Journal of Neuroscience
    1. Jereme C. Wingert
    2. Jonathan D. Ramos
    3. Sebastian X. Reynolds
    4. Angela E. Gonzalez
    5. R. Mae Rose
    6. Deborah M. Hegarty
    7. Sue A. Aicher
    8. Lydia G. Bailey
    9. Travis E. Brown
    10. Atheir I. Abbas
    11. Barbara A. Sorg
  • Prospective cohort study investigating frequency and risk factors for acute pain 1 day after refractive surgery

    BMJ Open Ophthalmology
    1. Jason Betz
    2. Elyana Vittoria Tessa Locatelli
    3. Brooke M. Harkness
    4. Maricarmen Perez-Blanco
    5. Steven J. Everist
    6. Siting Chen
    7. Richard Stutzman
    8. Winston Chamberlain
    9. Afshan Nanji
    10. Jodi Lapidus
    11. Sue A. Aicher
    12. Anat Galor
  • Remyelination protects neurons from DLK-mediated neurodegeneration

    Nature communications
    1. Greg J. Duncan
    2. Sam D. Ingram
    3. Katie Emberley
    4. Jo Hill
    5. Christian Cordano
    6. Ahmed Abdelhak
    7. Michael McCane
    8. Jennifer E. Jenks
    9. Nora Jabassini
    10. Kirtana Ananth
    11. Skylar J. Ferrara
    12. Brittany Stedelin
    13. Benjamin Sivyer
    14. Sue A. Aicher
    15. Thomas S. Scanlan
    16. Trent A. Watkins
    17. Anusha Mishra
    18. Jonathan W. Nelson
    19. Ari J. Green
    20. Ben Emery
  • Tear Proteins Altered in Patients with Persistent Eye Pain after Refractive Surgery

    Journal of Proteome Research
    1. Brooke M. Harkness
    2. Siting Chen
    3. Kilsun Kim
    4. Ashok Reddy
    5. Trevor J. McFarland
    6. Deborah M. Hegarty
    7. Steven J. Everist
    8. Julie A. Saugstad
    9. Jodi Lapidus
    10. Anat Galor
    11. Sue A. Aicher
  • Experimental design considerations for studies of human tear proteins

    Ocular Surface
    1. Brooke M. Harkness
    2. Deborah M. Hegarty
    3. Julie A. Saugstad
    4. Hannah Behrens
    5. Jason Betz
    6. Larry L. David
    7. Jodi A. Lapidus
    8. Siting Chen
    9. Richard Stutzman
    10. Winston Chamberlain
    11. Maricarmen Perez-Blanco
    12. Anat Galor
    13. Sue A. Aicher
  • Glial TGFβ activity promotes neuron survival in peripheral nerves

    Journal of Cell Biology
    1. Alexandria P. Lassetter
    2. Megan M. Corty
    3. Romina Barria
    4. Amy E. Sheehan
    5. Jo Q. Hill
    6. Sue A. Aicher
    7. A. Nicole Fox
    8. Marc R. Freeman
  • Light-dependent changes in the outer plexiform layer of the mouse retina

    Frontiers in Ophthalmology
    1. Tammie L. Haley
    2. Ryan M. Hecht
    3. Gaoying Ren
    4. James R. Carroll
    5. Sue A. Aicher
    6. Robert M. Duvoisin
    7. Catherine W. Morgans
  • Neuronal ER-plasma membrane junctions couple excitation to Ca2+-activated PKA signaling

    Nature communications
    1. Nicholas C. Vierra
    2. Luisa Ribeiro-Silva
    3. Michael Kirmiz
    4. Deborah van der List
    5. Pradeep Bhandari
    6. Olivia A. Mack
    7. James Carroll
    8. Elodie Le Monnier
    9. Sue A. Aicher
    10. Ryuichi Shigemoto
    11. James S. Trimmer
  • Ocular Pain after Refractive Surgery

    Ophthalmology
    1. Jason Betz
    2. Hannah Behrens
    3. Brooke M. Harkness
    4. Richard Stutzman
    5. Winston Chamberlain
    6. Marie Perez Blanco
    7. Deborah M. Hegarty
    8. Sue A. Aicher
    9. Anat Galor
  • Analysis of Rod/Cone Gap Junctions from the Reconstruction of Mouse Photoreceptor Terminals

    eLife
    1. Munenori Ishibashi
    2. Joyce Keung
    3. Catherine W. Morgans
    4. Sue A. Aicher
    5. James R. Carroll
    6. Joshua H. Singer
    7. Li Jia
    8. Wei Li
    9. Iris Fahrenfort
    10. Christophe P. Ribelayga
    11. Stephen C. Massey
  • Discoidin domain receptor regulates ensheathment, survival and caliber of peripheral axons

    Development (Cambridge)
    1. Megan M. Corty
    2. Alexandria L. Hulegaard
    3. Jo Q. Hill
    4. Amy E. Sheehan
    5. Sue A. Aicher
    6. Marc R. Freeman
  • Distinct morphology of cardiac- and brown adipose tissue-projecting neurons in the stellate ganglia of mice

    Physiological reports
    1. Madeleine S. Barrett
    2. Deborah M. Hegarty
    3. Beth A. Habecker
    4. Sue A. Aicher
  • Distinct roles for the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-causing endosomal regulators Mtmr5 and Mtmr13 in axon radial sorting and Schwann cell myelination

    Human molecular genetics
    1. Anna E. Mammel
    2. Katherine C. Delgado
    3. Andrea L. Chin
    4. Alec F. Condon
    5. Jo Q. Hill
    6. Sue A. Aicher
    7. Yingming Wang
    8. Lev M. Fedorov
    9. Fred L. Robinson
  • Nicotinamide Riboside Alleviates Corneal and Somatic Hypersensitivity Induced by Paclitaxel in Male Rats

    Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
    1. Marta V. Hamity
    2. Sandra J. Kolker
    3. Deborah M. Hegarty
    4. Christopher Blum
    5. Lucy Langmack
    6. Sue A. Aicher
    7. Donna L. Hammond
  • Resveratrol increases tear production and ocular pain after corneal abrasion in male, but not female, rats using a photorefractive keratectomy model

    Experimental Eye Research
    1. Deborah M. Hegarty
    2. James R. Carroll
    3. Dennis Nguyen
    4. Victoria S. Halls
    5. Dennis I. Robbins
    6. Theodore J. Price
    7. Gregory Dussor
    8. Sue A. Aicher
  • Subcellular localization of D2 receptors in the murine substantia nigra

    Brain Structure and Function
    1. Joseph J. Lebowitz
    2. Mason Trinkle
    3. James R. Bunzow
    4. Judith Joyce Balcita-Pedicino
    5. Savas Hetelekides
    6. Brooks Robinson
    7. Santiago De La Torre
    8. Sue A. Aicher
    9. Susan R. Sesack
    10. John T. Williams
  • Cocaine memory reactivation induces functional adaptations within parvalbumin interneurons in the rat medial prefrontal cortex

    Addiction Biology
    1. Emily T. Jorgensen
    2. Angela E. Gonzalez
    3. John H. Harkness
    4. Deborah M. Hegarty
    5. Amit Thakar
    6. Delta J. Burchi
    7. Jake A. Aadland
    8. Sue A. Aicher
    9. Barbara A. Sorg
    10. Travis E. Brown
  • Dedicated C-fiber vagal sensory afferent pathways to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus

    Brain research
    1. Jessica A. Fawley
    2. Deborah M. Hegarty
    3. Sue A. Aicher
    4. Eric Beaumont
    5. Michael C. Andresen
  • Diurnal changes in perineuronal nets and parvalbumin neurons in the rat medial prefrontal cortex

    Brain Structure and Function
    1. John H. Harkness
    2. Angela E. Gonzalez
    3. Priyanka N. Bushana
    4. Emily T. Jorgensen
    5. Deborah M. Hegarty
    6. Ariel A. Di Nardo
    7. Alain Prochiantz
    8. Jonathan P. Wisor
    9. Sue A. Aicher
    10. Travis E. Brown
    11. Barbara A. Sorg
  • Program evaluation of trauma-informed yoga for vulnerable populations

    Evaluation and Program Planning
    1. Deanne C. Tibbitts
    2. Sue A. Aicher
    3. Judith Sugg
    4. Kimberlee Handloser
    5. Liz Eisman
    6. Lauren D. Booth
    7. Ryan D. Bradley
  • Sex differences in the expression of the endocannabinoid system within V1M cortex and PAG of Sprague Dawley rats

    Biology of sex differences
    1. Aidan Levine
    2. Erika Liktor-Busa
    3. Austin A. Lipinski
    4. Sarah Couture
    5. Shreya Balasubramanian
    6. Sue A. Aicher
    7. Paul R. Langlais
    8. Todd W. Vanderah
    9. Tally M. Largent-Milnes
  • PRC2 Acts as a Critical Timer That Drives Oligodendrocyte Fate over Astrocyte Identity by Repressing the Notch Pathway

    Cell Reports
    1. Wenxian Wang
    2. Hyeyoung Cho
    3. Dongkyeong Kim
    4. Younjung Park
    5. Ji Hwan Moon
    6. Su Jeong Lim
    7. Sung Min Yoon
    8. Michael McCane
    9. Sue A. Aicher
    10. Sangsoo Kim
    11. Ben Emery
    12. Jae W. Lee
    13. Seunghee Lee
    14. Yungki Park
    15. Soo Kyung Lee
  • Acute hyperalgesia and delayed dry eye after corneal abrasion injury

    Pain Reports
    1. Deborah M. Hegarty
    2. Sam M. Hermes
    3. Michael M. Morgan
    4. Sue A. Aicher
  • Cocaine exposure modulates perineuronal nets and synaptic excitability of fast-spiking interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex

    eNeuro
    1. Megan L. Slaker
    2. Emily T. Jorgensen
    3. Deborah M. Hegarty
    4. Xinyue Liu
    5. Yan Kong
    6. Fuming Zhang
    7. Robert J. Linhardt
    8. Travis E. Brown
    9. Sue A. Aicher
    10. Barbara A. Sorg
  • Lacrimal gland denervation alters tear protein composition and impairs ipsilateral eye closures and corneal nociception

    Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
    1. Deborah M. Hegarty
    2. Larry L. David
    3. Sue A. Aicher
  • Endogenous opioids regulate moment-to-moment neuronal communication and excitability

    Nature communications
    1. Bryony L. Winters
    2. Gabrielle C. Gregoriou
    3. Sarah A. Kissiwaa
    4. Oliver A. Wells
    5. Danashi I. Medagoda
    6. Sam M. Hermes
    7. Neil T. Burford
    8. Andrew Alt
    9. Sue A. Aicher
    10. Elena E. Bagley