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Research Interests

• Identification of genetic mechanisms that contribute to alcohol, tobacco, and substance use.
• Application of genomics and bioinformatics to the study of behavior genetics.
• Genetics of Substance Use Disorders Laboratory.
• Profile page at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics.
• Graduate training opportunities at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics.

Education

• 1991-1995, B.S. Biology, B.A. French, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
• 1997-2001, Ph.D., Human Medical Genetics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO.

Professional Experience

• 2001-2002, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.
• 2002-2003, Research Associate, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.
• 2003-2010, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.
• 2010-2022, Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.
• 2021-2022 Interim Chair, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.
• 2022-present, Professor and Chair, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.
• 2003-present, Faculty Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.

Honors and Awards

• 2000-2001 Graduate Student Training Fellowship, National Institute of Mental Health, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Â鶹ӰԺ, CO.
• 2001-2002 Postdoctoral Training Fellowship, National Institute of Drug Abuse, Unversity of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO
• 2015-2019 Board Member of Research Society on Alcoholism
• 2016-2019 President-elect/President/Past-President of International Behavioral and Neural Genetics Society

Recent Publications

P.N. Romero Villela, L.M. Evans, T. Palviainen, R. Border, J. Kaprio, R.H.C. Palmer, M.C. Keller, M.A. Ehringer. (2024) Loci on chromosome 20 interact with rs16969968 to influence cigarettes per day in European Ancestry individuals. Drug and Alcohol Dependence,  

E.P. Duffy, J.O. Ward, L.H. Hale, K.T. Brown, A. Kwilasz, L. Saba, M. Ehringer, R. Bachtell. (2024) Genetic background and sex influence somatosensory sensitivity and oxycodone analygesia in the Hybrid Rat Diversity Panel. Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 23(2). 10.1111/gbb.12894

E.P. Duffy, R.K. Bachtell, M.A. Ehringer. (2024) Opioid Trail: Tracking contributions to opioid use disorder from host genetics to the gut microbiome. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 156:105487.  10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105487

D.R. Dokuru, T.B. Horwitz, S.M Freis, M.C. Stallings, M.A. Ehringer. (2024) South Asia: The Missing Diverse in Diversity. Behavior Genetics, 54(1):51-62.

K.N. Paulich, S.M. Freis, P.N. Romero Villela, T.B. Horwitz, S. Aki, M.C. Stallings, M.A. Ehringer. (2024) Reinvigoration of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics: Student-driven Progress. Behavior Genetics, 54(1):24-33. 10.1007/s10519-023-10149-8

E.A. Mehrhoff, W.C. Booher, J. Hutchinson, G. Schumacher, C. Borski, C.A. Lowry, C.A. Hoeffer, M.A. Ehringer. (2023) Diazepam effects on anxiety-related defensive behavior of male and female high and low open-field activity inbred mouse strains. Physiology and Behavior.  

M.S. Brasher, T.J. Mize, A.L. Thomas, C.A. Hoeffer, M.A. Ehringer, L.M. Evans. (2023) Testing associations between human anxiety and genes previously implicated by mouse anxiety models. Genes, Brain, and Behavior. 10.1111/gbb.12851

L.M. Evans, C.H. Arehart, A.D. Grotzinger, T.J. Mize, M.S. Brasher, J.A. Stitzel, M.A. Ehringer, C.A. Hoeffer. (2023) Transcriptome-wide gene-gene interaction associations elucidate pathways and functional enrichment of complex traits. PLOS Genetics.