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Charles Hoeffer

Associate Professor

Institute for Behavioral Genetics • Integrative Physiology

Charles.Hoeffer@colorado.edu

303-492-9563

Institute for Behavioral Genetics
University of Colorado Boulder
447 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0447

Research Interests:

Understanding the cellular and molecular basis for neurological disorder and neurodegenerative disease.

Active Grants:

NIA R01 AG064465-01 (MPI: Hoeffer, Link, Opp) 7/1/2019-6/30/2024. Sleep Disruption and Alzheimer's Disease Pathology. Role: PI
NIA R01 AG064465-01 SUPPLEMENT2 (MPI: Hoeffer, Link, Opp) 8/1/2022-7/31/2024. Sleep Disruption and Alzheimer's Disease Pathology/ Links between AD, DS and sleep disruption. Role: PI
AB Nexus Grant (MPI: Huntsman, Hoeffer) Period 12/1/2021-11/30/2022 Understanding AKT1 function regulating interneuronal activity involved in E/I balance. Role: PI
NIDA R21/R33 DA055781-A1 (Hoeffer, Ehringer, Stitzel) 9/15/2022-9/14/2027. Role of glial expression in nicotine behaviors for genes identified through human GWAS Role: PI
NIA RF1AG064465-S2 (Hoeffer, Opp, Link) 04/01/2022-3/31/2023 Sleep Disruption in Down Syndrome-related Alzheimer’s Disease. Role: PI

Additional Resources:

Current CV

Watch Dr. Hoeffer speak

Dr. Hoeffer speaks on Molecular Signaling and Neurological Disorders:

Current Lab

Mina Griffioen

Predoctoral Trainee

Institute for Behavioral Genetics

Jessica Hanson

Postdoctoral Trainee

Institute for Behavioral Genetics

Alanna Mayberry

Predoctoral Trainee

Institute for Behavioral Genetics

Former Trainees

Helen Wong

2017

Daniel Peterson

2016

Josien Levenga

2011

Ryan Milstead

2022

Kiriana Cowansage

2011

Publications

Diazepam effects on anxiety-related defensive behavior of male and female high and low open-field activity inbred mouse strains

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Ehringer, Marissa A; Lowry, Christopher A.

All Authors: Mehrhoff EA; Booher WC; Hutchinson J; Schumacher G; Borski C; Lowry CA; Hoeffer CA; Ehringer MA

Published in: Physiology and Behavior
Publication Date: 2023-11-01
Type: Conference Proceeding

TDP-43 knockdown in mouse model of ALS leads to dsRNA deposition, gliosis, and neurodegeneration in the spinal cord

CU Boulder Authors: Link, Chris; Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Milstead RA; Link CD; Xu Z; Hoeffer CA

Published in: Cerebral Cortex
Publication Date: 2023-05-09
Type: Journal Article

Transcriptome-wide gene-gene interaction associations elucidate pathways and functional enrichment of complex traits

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Evans, Luke M.; Ehringer, Marissa A

All Authors: Evans LM; Arehart CH; Grotzinger AD; Mize TJ; Brasher MS; Stitzel JA; Ehringer MA; Hoeffer CA

Published in: PLoS Genetics
Publication Date: 2023-05-01
Type: Journal Article

Identifying an Optimal Neuroinflammation Treatment Using a Nanoligomer Discovery Engine

CU Boulder Authors: Link, Chris; Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Chatterjee, Anushree

All Authors: Sharma S; Borski C; Hanson J; Garcia MA; Link CD; Hoeffer C; Chatterjee A; Nagpal P

Published in: ACS Chemical Neuroscience
Publication Date: 2022-12-07
Type: Journal Article

RCAN1 knockout and overexpression recapitulate an ensemble of rest-activity and circadian disruptions characteristic of Down syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, and normative aging

CU Boulder Authors: Stitzel, Jerry A; Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Wong H; Buck JM; Borski C; Pafford JT; Keller BN; Milstead RA; Hanson JL; Stitzel JA; Hoeffer CA

Published in: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Publication Date: 2022-12-01
Type: Journal Article

Identifying Optimal Neuroinflammation Treatment Using Nanoligomer™ Discovery Engine

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Sharma S; Borski C; Hanson J; Garcia MA; Link CD; Hoeffer C; Chatterjee A; Nagpal P

Publication Date: 2022-08-25
Type: Journal Article

Transcriptome-Wide Gene-Gene Interaction Association Study Elucidates Pathways and Functional Enrichment of Complex Traits

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Evans, Luke M.

All Authors: Evans LM; Arehart CH; Grotzinger AD; Mize TJ; Brasher MS; Stitzel JA; Ehringer MA; Hoeffer CA

Publication Date: 2022-08-17
Type: Journal Article

Testing Human Anxiety Associations of Genes Previously Implicated by Mouse Anxiety Models

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Ehringer, Marissa A

All Authors: Brasher MS; Mize TJ; Thomas AL; Hoeffer CA; Ehringer MA; Evans LM

Publication Date: 2022-07-09
Type: Journal Article

RCAN1 Knockout and Overexpression Recapitulate an Ensemble of Rest-activity and Circadian Disruptions Characteristic of Down Syndrome, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Normative Aging

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Wong H; Buck JM; Borski C; Pafford J; Keller BN; Stitzel JA; Hoeffer CA

Publication Date: 2021-11-10
Type: Journal Article

Novel characterization of the multivariate genetic architecture of internalizing psychopathology and alcohol use

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Evans, Luke M.; Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Friedman, Naomi P

All Authors: Colbert SMC; Funkhouser SA; Johnson EC; Morrison CL; Hoeffer CA; Friedman NP; Ehringer MA; Evans LM

Published in: American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics
Publication Date: 2021-09-27
Type: Journal Article

Upregulation of eIF4E, but not other translation initiation factors, in dendritic spines during memory formation

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Gindina S; Botsford B; Cowansage K; LeDoux J; Klann E; Hoeffer C; Ostroff L

Published in: Journal of Comparative Neurology
Publication Date: 2021-08-01
Type: Journal Article

Immunohistological Examination of AKT Isoforms in the Brain: Cell-Type Specificity That May Underlie AKT’s Role in Complex Brain Disorders and Neurological Disease

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Levenga J; Wong H; Milstead R; LaPlante L; Hoeffer CA

Published in: Cerebral Cortex Communications
Publication Date: 2021-04-01
Type: Journal Article

Isoform-specific roles for AKT in affective behavior, spatial memory, and extinction related to psychiatric disorders

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors:

Wong H; Levenga J; LaPlante L; Keller B; Cooper-Sansone A; Borski C; Milstead R; Ehringer M; Hoeffer C...

Wong H
Levenga J
LaPlante L
Keller B
Cooper-Sansone A
Borski C
Milstead R
Ehringer M
Hoeffer C

Published in: eLife
Publication Date: 2020-12-16
Type: Journal Article

The Role of A Priori-Identified Addiction and Smoking Gene Sets in Smoking Behaviors

CU Boulder Authors: Stitzel, Jerry A; Evans, Luke M.; Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Hewitt, John K; Ehringer, Marissa A; Keller, Matthew C

All Authors:

Evans LM; Johnson EC; Melroy-Greif WE; Hewitt JK; Hoeffer CA; Keller MC; Saba LM; Stitzel JA; Ehringer MA...

Evans LM
Johnson EC
Melroy-Greif WE
Hewitt JK
Hoeffer CA
Keller MC
Saba LM
Stitzel JA
Ehringer MA

Published in: Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Publication Date: 2020-08-01
Type: Journal Article

Sleep Behavior and EEG Oscillations in Aged Dp(16)1Yey/+ Mice: A Down Syndrome Model

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Levenga J; Peterson DJ; Cain P; Hoeffer CA

Published in: Neuroscience
Publication Date: 2018-04-15
Type: Journal Article

Maternal IL-17A in autism

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Wong H; Hoeffer C

Published in: Experimental Neurology
Publication Date: 2018-01-01
Type: Journal Article

AKT isoforms have distinct hippocampal expression and roles in synaptic plasticity

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Levenga J; Wong H; Milstead RA; Keller BN; LaPlante L; Hoeffer CA

Published in: eLife
Publication Date: 2017-11-27
Type: Journal Article

AKT isoforms have distinct hippocampal expression and roles in synaptic plasticity

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Levenga J; Wong H; Milstead RA; Keller BN; Laplante LE; Hoeffer CA

Publication Date: 2017-07-25
Type: Journal Article

Nicotine reverses hypofrontality in animal models of addiction and schizophrenia

CU Boulder Authors: Stitzel, Jerry A; Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors:

Koukouli F; Rooy M; Tziotis D; Sailor KA; O'Neill HC; Levenga J; Witte M; Nilges M; Changeux J-P; Hoeffer CA...

Koukouli F
Rooy M
Tziotis D
Sailor KA
O'Neill HC
Levenga J
Witte M
Nilges M
Changeux J-P
Hoeffer CA

Published in: Nature Medicine
Publication Date: 2017-03-01
Type: Journal Article

Accumulation of Polyribosomes in Dendritic Spine Heads, But Not Bases and Necks, during Memory Consolidation Depends on Cap-Dependent Translation Initiation

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Ostroff LE; Botsford B; Gindina S; Cowansage KK; LeDoux JE; Klann E; Hoeffer C

Published in: The Journal of Neuroscience
Publication Date: 2017-02-15
Type: Journal Article

RNA and Protein Targets of FMRP

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Suhl J; Hoeffer C

Publication Date: 2017-01-01
Type: Chapter

Affinity of Tau antibodies for solubilized pathological Tau species but not their immunogen or insoluble Tau aggregates predicts in vivo and ex vivo efficacy

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors:

Congdon EE; Lin Y; Rajamohamedsait HB; Shamir DB; Krishnaswamy S; Rajamohamedsait WJ; Rasool S; Gonzalez V; Levenga J; G...

Congdon EE
Lin Y
Rajamohamedsait HB
Shamir DB
Krishnaswamy S
Rajamohamedsait WJ
Rasool S
Gonzalez V
Levenga J
Gu J

Published in: Molecular Neurodegeneration
Publication Date: 2016-08-30
Type: Journal Article

Translational Regulation of Synaptic Plasticity

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: HOEFFER CA; Santini E; Klann E

Publication Date: 2016-08-23
Type: Chapter

The maternal interleukin-17a pathway in mice promotes autism-like phenotypes in offspring

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Choi GB; Yim YS; Wong H; Kim S; Kim H; Kim SV; Hoeffer CA; Littman DR; Huh JR

Published in: Science
Publication Date: 2016-02-26
Type: Journal Article

RCAN1 overexpression promotes age-dependent mitochondrial dysregulation related to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease

CU Boulder Authors: Hoeffer, Charles Albert

All Authors: Wong H; Levenga J; Cain P; Rothermel B; Klann E; Hoeffer C

Published in: Acta Neuropathologica
Publication Date: 2015-12-01
Type: Journal Article

Recruiting

Dr. Hoeffer is recruiting new students for a fall 2024 start date. Applications are typically due mid November; for exact dates please check the Department of Integrative Physiology website, if you intend to work with Dr. Hoeffer. Additional information is available on IBG's Prospective Students page.

Contact Charles Hoeffer directly about postdoctoral trainee positions.

Highlighted Publications

Light-entrained diurnal and circadian wheel running rhythms are diminished in young Dp16 mice and are partially normalized by restoration of Rcan1 to two copies.

RCAN1 knockout and overexpression recapitulate an ensemble of rest-activity and circadian disruptions characteristic of Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and normative aging

Regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) is overexpressed in Down syndrome (DS), but RCAN1 levels are also increased in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and normal aging. AD is highly comorbid among individuals with DS and is characterized in part by progressive neurodegeneration that resembles accelerated aging. Anomalous diurnal rest-activity patterns and circadian rhythm disruptions are also common in DS, AD, and aging and have been implicated in facilitating age-related cognitive decline and AD progression. Using the Dp(16)1Yey/+ (Dp16) mouse model for DS, which expresses three copies of Rcan1, we found reduced wheel running activity and rhythmicity in both light-entrained and free-running young Dp16 mice like young RCAN1-overexpressing mice. Critically, these diurnal and circadian deficits were rescued in part or entirely by restoring Rcan1 to two copies in Dp16 mice.

(Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2022)

AKT isoform expression in response to genetic deletion of the other two isoforms. (A) Western blot analysis of AKT isoform levels in hippocampal lysates prepared from Akt mutant mice.

Immunohistological Examination of AKT Isoforms in the Brain: Cell-Type Specificity That May Underlie AKT’s Role in Complex Brain Disorders and Neurological Disease

In this study, we use a combination of histology, immunostaining, and genetics to characterize cell-type-specific expression of AKT isoforms in human and mouse brains. In mice, we find that AKT1 is the most broadly expressed isoform, with expression in excitatory neurons and the sole detectable AKT isoform in gamma-aminobutyric acid ergic interneurons and microglia. By contrast, we find that AKT2 is the sole isoform expressed in astroglia and is not detected in other neural cell types. Because AKT signaling is linked to numerous neurological disorders, a greater understanding of cell-specific isoform expression could improve treatment strategies involving AKT.

(Cerebral Cortex Communications, 2021)

Restoration of AKT1 expression in the PFC normalizes extinction learning and LTM in Akt1 KO males

Isoform-specific roles for AKT in affective behavior, spatial memory, and extinction related to psychiatric disorders

Our studies revealed AKT isoform- and sex-specific effects on anxiety, spatial and contextual memory, and fear extinction. These results highlight sex as a biological variable and isoform- or cell type-specific AKT signaling as potential targets for improving treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

(eLife, 2020)

Dp16 mice show disturbed sleep pattern measured in number of transitions and average bout lengths.

Sleep Behavior and EEG Oscillations in Aged Dp(16)1Yey/+ Mice: A Down Syndrome Model

In this study, sleep and electroencephalography (EEG) oscillations were recorded from aged Dp(16)1Yey/+ mice (Dp16), a mouse model of DS. We observed disrupted sleep demonstrated by increased activity during the dark phase and increased time awake at the expense of NREM sleep compared to wild-type mice. These results in Dp16 mice are consistent with sleep disturbances found in individuals with DS, and the abnormal EEG oscillations in aged Dp16 mice suggest a potential role for GABAergic activity in these sleep and EEG abnormalities.

(Neuroscience, 2018)

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People at IBG

Charles Hoeffer

Research Interests:

Active Grants:

Additional Resources:

Current Lab

Former Trainees

Helen Wong

Daniel Peterson

Josien Levenga

Ryan Milstead

Kiriana Cowansage

Publications

Translational Regulation of Synaptic Plasticity

Pages

Recruiting

Highlighted Publications

News