Marissa Ehringer, Professor
Professor
Institute for Behavioral Genetics • Integrative Physiology
Marissa.Ehringer@colorado.edu
303-492-1463

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

Research Interests:

  • Identification of genetic mechanisms that contribute to alcohol, tobacco, and substance use.
  • Application of genomics/bioinformatics resources to study behavior genetics

Active Grants:

  • NIDA U01 DA051937 (Ehringer, Bachtell, Saba). Identification of Genes and Genetic Networks Contributing to Opioid Use Disorder Traits in the Hybrid Rat Diversity Panel. Role: MPI
  • NIH R21 DA05781 (MPIs: Ehringer, Hoeffer, Stitzel) 9/15/2022 - 08/31/2024 Role of glial expression in nicotine behaviors for genes identified through human GWAS. Role: Contact PI

Additional Resources:

Dr. Ehringer speaks on the Genetics of Substance Abuse:

Current lab

Myra Bower portrait
Myra Bower
Predoctoral Trainee
Integrative Physiology • Institute for Behavioral Genetics
Eamonn Duffy portrait
Eamonn Duffy
Predoctoral Trainee
Institute for Behavioral Genetics
Erika Mehrhoff portrait
Erika Mehrhoff
Predoctoral Trainee
Integrative Physiology • Institute for Behavioral Genetics
Pamella Romero-Villela portrait
Pamela Romero-Villela
Predoctoral Trainee
Institute for Behavioral Genetics

Former Trainees

Sonya Belimezova

Doctoral student 2012-2017

Winona Booher

Doctoral student 2016-2021

Logan Bunch

Masters student 2019-2021

Todd Darlington

Doctoral student 2008-2012

Amber Flora

Postdoctoral trainee 2010-2012

Xavier Gallegos

Postdoctoral trainee 2010-2014

Lucy Hall

Masters student 2019-2021

Nicole Hoft

Postdoctoral trainee 2006-2009

Helen Kamens

Postdoctoral trainee 2009-2013

Riley McCarthy

Masters student 2012-2014

Whitney Melroy

Doctoral student 2010-2015

Jakob Morawiec

Masters student 2018-2020

Matthew Powers

Postdoctoral trainee 2014-2020

Kristin Rasmus

Doctoral student 2013-2016

Isabel Schlaepfer

Doctoral student 2005-2008

Sarah Holly Stephens

Postdoctoral trainee 2008-2011

Aimee Thomas

Masters student 2018-2020

Publications

Google scholar publications list

Genetic diversity fuels gene discovery for tobacco and alcohol use

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Krauter, Kenneth S; Hewitt, John K; Keller, Matthew C; Stitzel, Jerry A; Boardman, Jason D
All Authors: Saunders GRB; Wang X; Chen F; Jang S-K; Liu M; Wang C; Gao S; Jiang Y; Khunsriraksakul C; Otto JM
Published in: Nature
Publication Date: 2022-12-22
Type: Journal Article

Hippocampal RNA sequencing in mice selectively bred for high and low activity

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Booher WCC; Vanderlinden LAA; Hall LAA; Thomas ALL; Evans LMM; Saba LMM; Ehringer MAA
Published in: Genes, Brain and Behavior
Publication Date: 2022-12-13
Type: Journal Article

Testing Association of Previously Implicated Gene Sets and Gene-Networks in Nicotine Exposed Mouse Models with Human Smoking Phenotypes

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Evans, Luke M.; Stitzel, Jerry A
All Authors: Mize TJ; Funkhouser SA; Buck JM; Stitzel JA; Ehringer MA; Evans LM
Published in: Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Publication Date: 2022-11-29
Type: Conference Proceeding

A MOUSE MODEL OF HUMAN GCKR SNP RS1260326 (P446L) SHOWS DIFFERENCES IN ALCOHOL BEHAVIORS

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Ehringer MA; Bunch LJ; Hall LA; Mehrhoff EA; Booher WC; Romero-Villela PN; Powers MS
Published in: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Publication Date: 2022-06-25
Type: Conference Proceeding

Circulating interleukin-37 declines with aging in healthy humans: relations to healthspan indicators and IL37 gene SNPs

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Brunt VE; Ikoba AP; Ziemba BP; Ballak DB; Hoischen A; Dinarello CA; Ehringer MA; Seals DR
Published in: Geroscience
Publication Date: 2022-05-27
Type: Journal Article

Diazepam effects on anxiety-related defensive behavior of High and Low open-field activity inbred mouse strains

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Hoeffer, Charles Albert; Lowry, Christopher A.
All Authors: Mehrhoff EA; Booher WC; Hutchinson J; Schumacher G; Lowry C; Borski C; Hoeffer C; Ehringer M
Publication Date: 2022-05-24
Type: Conference Proceeding

Does Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy Moderate the Effect of Genes on Offspring's Smoking Behavior?

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Keller, Matthew C; Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Villela PNR; Balbona JC; Border R; Keller MC; Evans LM; Ehringer MA
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2021-11-01
Type: Conference Proceeding

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

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

Little Evidence of Modified Genetic Effect of rs16969968 on Heavy Smoking Based on Age of Onset of Smoking

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Adjangba C; Border R; Villela PNR; Ehringer MA; Evans LM
Published in: Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Publication Date: 2021-06-01
Type: Journal Article

INITIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GCKR HUMAN SNP RS1260326 (P446L) IN A MOUSE MODEL OF ALCOHOL BEHAVIORS

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Bunch LJ; Powers MS; Hall LA; Mehrho EA; Booher WC; Romero-Villela PN; Ehringer MA
Published in: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Publication Date: 2021-06-01
Type: Conference Proceeding

Anxiety-related defensive behavioral responses in mice selectively bred for High and Low Activity

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Lowry, Christopher A.
All Authors: Booher WC; Hall LA; Thomas AL; Merhroff EA; Reyes Martinez GJ; Scanlon KE; Lowry CA; Ehringer MA
Published in: Genes, Brain and Behavior
Publication Date: 2021-05-09
Type: Journal Article

Model-based assessment of replicability for genome-wide association meta-analysis

CU Boulder Authors: Stitzel, Jerry A; Ehringer, Marissa A; Krauter, Kenneth S
All Authors: McGuire D; Jiang Y; Liu M; Weissenkampen JD; Eckert S; Yang L; Chen F; Liu M; Jiang Y; Wedow R
Published in: Nature Communications
Publication Date: 2021-03-30
Type: Journal Article

Genetic architecture of four smoking behaviors using partitioned SNP heritability

CU Boulder Authors: Evans, Luke M.; Keller, Matthew C; Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Evans LM; Jang S; Hancock DB; Ehringer MA; Otto JM; Vrieze SI; Keller MC
Published in: Addiction
Publication Date: 2021-03-05
Type: Journal Article

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

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

Differential shared genetic influences of anxiety with problematic alcohol use compared to alcohol consumption

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A; Evans, Luke M.
All Authors: Colbert SMC; Funkhouser S; Johnson EC; Ehringer M; Evans L
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-11-01
Type: Journal Article

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Inbred Mouse Strains Selected for High and Low Open-Field Activity

CU Boulder Authors: Lowry, Christopher A.; Evans, Luke M.; Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Thomas AL; Evans LM; Nelsen MD; Chesler EJ; Powers MS; Booher WC; Lowry CA; DeFries JC; Ehringer MA
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-09-16
Type: Journal Article

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

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

No significant interaction between rs16969968 and genome-wide loci to predict cigarettes per day in the UK Biobank

CU Boulder Authors: Keller, Matthew C; Evans, Luke M.; Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Villela PNR; Border R; Keller MC; Evans LM; Ehringer MA
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-06-26
Type: Conference Proceeding

Alcohol related behaviors in mice selectively bred for high and low activity

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Booher WC; Thomas AL; Hall LA; Reyes GJ; Ehringer MA
Published in: Behavior Genetics: an international journal devoted to research in the inheritance of behavior in animals and man
Publication Date: 2020-06-26
Type: Conference Proceeding

Behavioral and neuronal interactions between exercise and alcohol: Sex and genetic differences

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Booher WC; Martinez GJR; Ehringer MA
Published in: Genes, Brain and Behavior
Publication Date: 2020-01-17
Type: Journal Article

Identifying epigenetic targets underlying the effects of prenatal exposure to opioids

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Ehringer MA
Published in: Genes, Brain and Behavior
Publication Date: 2019-07-01
Type: Journal Article

ALCOHOL-RELATED BEHAVIORS IN STRAINS OF MICE SELECTED FOR HIGH AND LOW OPEN-FIELD ACTIVITY

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Elliotte E; Booher WC; Ehringer MA
Published in: Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Publication Date: 2019-06-22
Type: Conference Proceeding

The effect of voluntary wheel running on 129/SvEvTac and C3H/Ibg alcohol consumption

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors: Booher WC; Hoft NR; Ehringer MA
Published in: Alcohol
Publication Date: 2019-06-01
Type: Journal Article

Common and Rare Variants Genetic Association Analysis of Cigarettes per Day Among Ever-Smokers in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Cases and Controls

CU Boulder Authors: Ehringer, Marissa A
All Authors:
Lutz SM; Frederiksen B; Begum F; McDonald M-LN; Cho MH; Hobbs BD; Parker MM; DeMeo DL; Hersh CP; Ehringer MA...
  • Lutz SM
  • Frederiksen B
  • Begum F
  • McDonald M-LN
  • Cho MH
  • Hobbs BD
  • Parker MM
  • DeMeo DL
  • Hersh CP
  • Ehringer MA
Published in: Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Publication Date: 2019-06-01
Type: Journal Article

Association studies of up to 1.2 million individuals yield new insights into the genetic etiology of tobacco and alcohol use

CU Boulder Authors: Stitzel, Jerry A; Hewitt, John K; Boardman, Jason D; Keller, Matthew C; Ehringer, Marissa A; Stallings, Michael C; Krauter, Kenneth S; McQueen, Matt
All Authors: Liu M; Jiang Y; Wedow R; Li Y; Brazel DM; Chen F; Datta G; Davila-Velderrain J; McGuire D; Tian C
Published in: Nature Genetics
Publication Date: 2019-02-01
Type: Journal Article

Pages