Erik S. Carlson

Year entered: 2001 

Degrees Received:

B.A. Philosophy/Biology, Lawrence University, 1999
Ph.D., Neuroscienc Graduate Program, 2008

Honors and Awards:
Dr Warren J. Warwick and Henrietta Holm Warwick Fellowship, Department of Pediatrics, 2007-2008

Thesis Advisor: Michael Georgieff, M.D. and Michael O'Connor, Ph.D.,  Neuroscience Graduate Program

Thesis Research: 

I am working in the lab of Michael Georgieff, M.D. We are using dietary and genetic tools to model the effects of perinatal iron deficiency in the developing forebrain. We use several tools including high-field (9.4 T) NMR spectroscopy, immunohistology, to characterize molecular, biochemical and structural effects, and the Morris Water Maze to measure behaviroal/neurocognitive outcomes.

Publications:

Carlson ES, Tkac I, Magid R, O'Connor MB, Andrews NC, Schallert T, Gunshin H, Georgieff MK, Petryk A. Iron is essential for neuron development and memory function in mouse hippocampus. J Nutr. 2009;139:67267-67269.

Tran PV, Fretham SJ, Carlson ES, Georgieff MK. Long-term reduction of hippocampal BDNF activity following fetal-neonatal iron deficiency in adult rats. Pediatr Res. 2009. [Epub ahead of print].

Carlson ES, Magid R, Petryk A,  Georgieff MK. Iron deficiency alters expression of genes implicated in Alzheimer disease pathogenesis.  Brain Res. 2008;1237:75-83.

Tran PV, Carlson ES, Fretham SJB, GeorgieffMK. Early-life Iron Deficiency anemia alters neurotrophic factor expression and hippocampal neuron differentiation in rats .J Nutr. 2008;138:2495-2501.

Carlson ES, Stead JD, Neal CR, Petryk A, Georgieff MK. Perinatal iron deficiency results in altered developmental expression of genes mediating energy metabolism and neuronal morphogenesis in hippocampus. Hippocampus. 2007;17:679-691.