Pamela J. Lein
· ProfessorUniversity of California, Davis · Neurology
Active 1987–2026
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About
Pamela J. Lein is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicology, gene x environment interactions in neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, and the development of medical countermeasures for acute intoxication with seizurogenic compounds. She has a background that includes a BS from Cornell University, an MS from East Tennessee State University, a PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and postdoctoral training at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Her work investigates how environmental neurotoxicants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and air pollution impact brain development and function, with particular attention to neuroinflammatory mechanisms and receptor-dependent pathways. She has contributed to understanding the role of ryanodine receptor-dependent mechanisms in PCB developmental neurotoxicity and has explored gene-environment interactions relevant to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research has been recognized through awards such as the Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence and has been published extensively, including chapters in scientific books and articles highlighted as editor’s choices. Dr. Lein's work aims to elucidate neurotoxic processes and develop strategies to mitigate their effects.
Research topics
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Immunology
- Cell biology
- Pharmacology
- Psychology
- Medicine
Selected publications
Progress in Lipid Research · 2022 · 585 citations
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are structural components of membrane phospholipids, and influence cellular function via effects on membrane properties, and also by acting as a precursor pool for lipid mediators. These lipid mediators are formed via activation of pathways involving at least one step of dioxygen-dependent oxidation, and are consequently called oxylipins. Their biosynthesis can be either enzymatically-dependent, utilising the promiscuous cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase, or cytoch…
A non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogue with therapeutic potential
Nature · 2020 · 457 citations
Journal of Neuroinflammation · 2020 · 242 citations
BACKGROUND: Interactions between neurons, astrocytes, and microglia critically influence neuroinflammatory responses to insult in the central nervous system. In vitro astrocyte and microglia cultures are powerful tools to study specific molecular pathways involved in neuroinflammation; however, in order to better understand the influence of cellular crosstalk on neuroinflammation, new multicellular culture models are required. METHODS: Primary cortical cells taken from neonatal rats were culture…
Transient Stimulation with Psychoplastogens Is Sufficient to Initiate Neuronal Growth
ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science · 2020 · 122 citations
Cortical neuron atrophy is a hallmark of depression and includes neurite retraction, dendritic spine loss, and decreased synaptic density. Psychoplastogens, small molecules capable of rapidly promoting cortical neuron growth, have been hypothesized to produce long-lasting positive effects on behavior by rectifying these deleterious structural and functional changes. Here we demonstrate that ketamine and LSD, psychoplastogens from two structurally distinct chemical classes, promote sustained grow…
Comprehensive physiology · 2025-08-01 · 3 citations
articleOpen accessLow but biologically relevant levels of bile acids are found in the brain and are altered in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the regulation of brain bile acid levels and what drives brain bile acid dynamics are poorly understood. Bile acids are synthesized in the liver and further metabolized by bacteria in the gut. Therefore, bile acids are mediators of the liver-brain axis and the gut-brain axis. Additionally, whether the bile acid profile differs between brain regions and whe…
Recent grants
NIH · $320k · 2005
NIH · $2.0M · 2015
NIH · $97k · 2000
Frequent coauthors
- 193 shared
Donald A. Bruun
University of California, Davis
- 144 shared
Jill L. Silverman
University of California, Davis
- 135 shared
Elizabeth L. Berg
University of California, Davis
- 133 shared
Jason P. Lerch
- 133 shared
Jacob Ellegood
Hospital for Sick Children
- 130 shared
Josef K. Rivera
University of California, Davis
- 130 shared
Markus Wöhr
KU Leuven
- 129 shared
Tianna M Ching
University of California, Davis
Education
- 1992
Postdoctoral fellow, Molecular Immunology
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
- 1990
Ph.D., Pharmacology and Toxicology
University at Buffalo - The State University of New York
- 1983
M.S., Environmental Health Sciences
East Tennessee State University
- 1981
B.S. in Biology
Cornell University
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