CURRICULUM VITAE

PETER J. CLARK, PHD

Work Address Home Address

National Institute on Aging 8202 Featherhill Rd, Apt 203

251 Bayview Dr. Perryhall, MD 21128

Baltimore, MD 80309

Phone:

(410) 558-8393 (O)

EDUCATION

2013-Present Postdoctoral IRTA, National Institute on Aging

National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD

2011-2013 Research Associate, Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience

University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

2006 - 2011 Ph.D. Behavioral Neuroscience

University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, IL

1999 - 2004 B.A. Psychology

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI

PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS

2013-Present Postdoctoral IRTA

National Institute of Health

National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD

2011 - 2013 Research Associate

Department of Integrative Physiology and Center for Neuroscience

University of Colorado, Boulder CO

2012 Adjunct Lecturer

Department of Psychology

University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, CO

2006 - 2011 Graduate Research Assistant

Department of Psychology and Beckman Institute Neurotech Group

University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, IL

2007 - 2009 Course Coordinator

Department of Psychology

University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, IL

2007 - 2009 Graduate Teaching Assistant

Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program

University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, IL

2004 - 2006 Laboratory Technician

2

Cardiovascular Center

Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

HONORS AND AWARDS

2015 Distinguished Mentor Award - National Institute on Aging

2010 Selected Knowledge for All Series Lecturer - University of Illinois Psychology

Department

2010 Conference Travel Award from International Behavioural and Neural Genetics

Society (IBANGS) ($1400)

2009 List of Excellent Teachers for University of Illinois

2009 Certificate of Achievement - “Applications of Unbiased Stereology to Neural

Systems”

2007 - 2009 Conference Travel Award from University of Illinois Psychology Department

2008 - 2010 Conference Travel Award from Biological Psychology Division

2008 Conference Travel Award from University of Illinois Graduate College

2003 Herman Kluge Award - Top Male Senior Student & Athlete at UW-Milwaukee

2003 All District Academic All-American

GRANTS

Title, Source, and Role Period Award Total

Intramural Support

An evaluation of the vascular-niche hypothesis 2007-2008 $4,960

Center for Health Minds Seed Grant

Principal Investigator

The impact of stress and exercise on striatum direct and indirect 2012 $3000

pathway activity

HHMI

Advisor for Parsa Ghasem

Evaluating stress and exercise induced changes to adenosine receptor 2012-2013 $1600

expression in the striatum

UROP

Advisor for Sara McConnell

Extramural Support

Nutritional modulation of brain development, cognitive function, 2013-2015 $698,856

and stress reactivity

MeadJohnson Nutrition Co-investigator (M. Fleshner PI)

Unfunded The utility of exercise to prevent stress-enhanced mesocortical 2012

dopamine transmission

3

NIH-F32

Principal Investigator

PUBLICATIONS

Manuscripts in preparation, submitted, in press or published in peer-reviewed journals:

1. Clark PJ, Amat J, McConnell SO, Ghasem PR, Maier SF, Greenwood BN, Fleshner M. Exercise

prevents uncontrollable stress sensitized serotonin and potentiates dopamine efflux in the rat dorsal

striatum following subsequent mild stress exposure. submitted.

2. Clark PJ, Ghasem PR, Mika A, Day HE, Herrera JJ, Greenwood BN, Fleshner M. Wheel running alters

patterns of uncontrollable stress-induced cfos mRNA expression in rat dorsal striatum direct and

indirect pathways: a possible role for neuroplasticity in adenosine and dopamine receptors.

Behavioural Brain Research 2014; Oct 1; 272

3. Thompson R, Strong PV, Clark PJ, Maslanik T, Wright K, Greenwood BN, Fleshner, M. Repeated

fear-induced diurnal rhythm disruptions predict PTSD-like sensitized physiological acute stress

responses in F344 rats. Acta Physiologica 2014; Jun; 211(2).

4. Greenwood BN, Spence KG, Crevling DM, Clark PJ, Craig WC, Fleshner M. Exercise-induced stress

resistance is independent of exercise-controllability and the medial prefrontal cortex. European

Journal of Neuroscience 2013; 37(3).

5. Greenwood BN, Strong PV, Loughridge AB, Day HEW, Clark PJ, Mika A, Hellwinkel JE, Spence KG,

Fleshner M. 5-HT2C Receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala and Dorsal Striatum Are a Novel Target

for the Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Effects of Exercise. PLOS ONE 2012; 7(9).

6. Clark PJ, Bhattacharya TK, Miller DS, Kohman RA, DeYoung EK, Rhodes JS. New neurons

generated from running are broadly recruited into neural activity from different hippocampus-

involved tasks. Hippocampus 2012; Sept; 22(9) 1860-7

7. Kohman RA, Clark PJ, DeYoung EK, Bhattacharya TK, Venghaus CE, Rhodes JS. Voluntary wheel

running enhances contextual but not trace fear conditioning. Behavioural Brain Research 2012; Jan;

266(1) 1-7.

8. Bulwa ZB, Shalin JA, Clark PJ, Bhattacharya TK, Kilby CN, Wang Y, Rhodes JS. Increased

consumption of ethanol and sugar water in mice lacking dopamine D2 long receptor. Alcohol 2011

Nov;45(7) 631-9.

9. Clark PJ, Miller DS, Bhattacharya TK, Rhodes JS. Induction of c-Fos, Zif268, and Arc from acute

bouts of voluntary wheel running in new and pre-existing adult mouse hippocampal granule neurons.

Neuroscience 2011 June; 184 16-27.

10. Clark PJ, Kohman RA, Miller DS, Bhattacharya TK, Brzezinska WJ, Rhodes JS. Genetic influences on

exercise-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis across 12 divergent mouse strains. Genes Brain &

Behavior 2011 Jan; 10(3) 34-53.

11. Clark PJ, Kohman RA, Miller DS, Bhattacharya TK, Haferkamp EK, Rhodes JS. Adult hippocampal

neurogenesis and c-Fos induction during escalation of voluntary wheel running in C57BL/6J mice.

Behavioural Brain Research 2010 Dec; 213(2) 246-52.

12. Clark PJ, Brzezinska WJ, Puchalski EK, Krone DA, Rhodes JS. Functional analysis of neurovascular

adaptations to exercise in the dentate gyrus of young adult mice associated with cognitive gain.

Hippocampus 2009 Oct; 19(10) 937-50.

13. Clark PJ, Brzezinska WJ, Thomans MW, Ryzhenko N, Toshov SA, Rhodes JS. Intact neurogenesis is

required for benefits of exercise on spatial memory but not motor performance or contextual fear in

C57BL/6J mice. Neuroscience 2008 Sep;155(4) 1048-58.

Abstracts:

4

1. Voluntary exercise prevents reductions of mTOR mRNA in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus

following exposure to uncontrollable stress. Society for Neuroscience National Conference (2014). co-

author

2. Identifying the mechanisms by which exercise prevents inescapable stress induced deficits of

instrumental learning. Society for Neuroscience National Conference (2013). first author

3. Effects of chronic voluntary or forced exercise on rat brain thermosensitive serotonergic systems.

Society for Neuroscience National Conference (2013). co-author

4. Wheel running produces widespread structural alterations within striatal and limbic regions involved in

stress. Society for Neuroscience National Conference (2013). co-author

5. The rewarding effects of exercise do not depend on wheel running controllability. Society for

Neuroscience National Conference (2013). co-author

6. The interaction between voluntary exercise and acute stress on brain glycogen concentration. Society for

Neuroscience National Conference (2012). first author

7. Do the rewarding effects of exercise depend on the controllability of exercise? Society for Neuroscience

National Conference (2012). co-author

8. Spatial learning tasks activate new neurons generated from running. Society for Neuroscience National

Conference (2011). first author

9. An analysis of c-Fos, Arc, and, Zif268 induction in new and pre-existing dentate granule neurons from

acute bouts of voluntary running in C57BL/6J mice. Society for Neuroscience National Conference

(2010). first author

10. An analysis of c-Fos, Arc, and, Zif268 induction in new and pre-existing dentate granule neurons from

acute bouts of voluntary locomotor activity in C57BL/6J mice. International Behavioral and Neural

Genetics Society (2010). first author

11. A comparison of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and Fos-induction from wheel running during the

initial 6 days of wheel exposure versus after 20 days during peak running. Society for Neuroscience

National Conference (2009). co-author

12. Wheel running exercise delays extinction of conditioned place preference for cocaine in male C57BL/6J

mice in association with impaired exercise-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Society for

Neuroscience National Conference (2009). co-author

13. Functional significance of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in pro-cognitive effects of exercise using a

transgenic mouse model to directly manipulate neurogenesis. Society for Neuroscience National

Conference (2009). co-author

14. Mouse genetic differences of exercise induced hippocampal neurogenesis and learning. Society for

Neuroscience National Conference (2008). co-author

15. Functional analysis of neurovascular adaptations to exercise in the dentate gyrus of young adult mice

associated with cognitive gain. Society for Neuroscience National Conference (2008). first author

16. Is exercise-enhanced neurogenesis necessary for improved performance on hippocampal-dependent

learning tasks? Society for Neuroscience National Conference (2007) first author

17. The impairment of myogenic tone in the middle cerebral arties with a membrane permeable superoxide

dismutase mimetic targeted to the mitochondria. Medical College of Wisconsin Medical Student

Research Training Seminar (2005). co-author

TEACHING Undergraduate courses taught

2012 Adjunct Professor

Psych 1000-Introduction to Psychology

Department of Psychology, University of Colorado-Denver

2007-2009 Course Coordinator (3 semesters)

5

Psych 311-Techniques in Biological Psychology

Department of Psychology, University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign

2007-2009 Graduate Teaching Assistant (3 semesters)

Psych 311-Techniques in Biological Psychology

Department of Psychology, University of Illinois-Urbrana/Champaign

Graduate courses taught

2009 Graduate Teaching Assistant (1 semester)

NEUR 433-Evolutionary Neuroscience

Psychology, Neuroscience, Philosophy, University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign

Invited seminars

2015 The impact of physical activity on cognitive performance and stress-susceptibility. Human Nutrition and Food Science Department Seminar. Iowa State University, Aimes, IA

2013 Pro-cognitive and stress-resistant effects of exercise. Psychology Department Seminar.

Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

2012 The benefits of exercise on brain and cognitive function. Cognition, Diet, Sleep, & Lifestyle

Seminar. Women’s Resource Center. University of Colorado-Boulder, Boulder, CO.

2011 The contribution of new neurons generated from exercise to improved hippocampus function.

Biomedical sciences research seminar. Regis University, Denver, CO.

2011 An examination of the functional significance of new neurons generated from running.

Kinesiology Seminar. University of Illinois Kinesiology Department, Urbana, IL.

2010 Exercise and the brain: A potential role for new neurons in improving cognitive

performance. Knowledge for All Lecture Series. University of Illinois Psychology

Department, Urbana, IL.

SERVICE

Committees Served

2015 Fellows Editorial Board, NIH

2012 Selected “Innovative Seed Grant” reviewer for biomedical science submissions. University of

Colorado, Boulder

Press

Research featured in Michigan Today article on exercise and mental health (9/26/12)

http://michigantoday.umich.edu/2012/07/story.php?id=8422

Research featured in New York Times Magazine article on exercise and cognitive performance (4/22/2012)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-exercise-could-lead-to-a-better-

brain.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

Supervised Trainees

6

Date Name, Position, Current Position

2014-2015 Benjamin Becker, Postbac IRTA

2013-2015 Benjamin Peterson, Postbac IRTA

2011-2013 Jonathan Herrera, masters student, MD/PhD candidate

2011-2013 Robert Thompson, PhD student, Postdoc University of Colorado-Boulder

2011-2013 Katie Spence, masters student

2011-2012 Paul Strong, PhD student, Communications Manager MeadJohnson

2013 Sara McConnell (UROP research stipend winner) undergraduate research assistant

2013 Tyler Wieman, undergraduate research assistant

2013, 2015 Nicole Rumin, undergraduate research assistant & summer internship at NIH

2012-2013 Sam Golon, undergraduate research assistant

2012-2013 Damian Musello, undergraduate research assistant

2011-2013 Parsa Ghasem (HHMI research stipend winner), undergraduate research assistant,

University of Colorado School of Medicine

2011-2012 Hillary Dudek, undergraduate research assistant

2008-2011 Tushar Bhattacharya, undergraduate research assistant, currently laboratory manager at

University of Illinois

2008-2011 David Krone, undergraduate research assistant, University of Illinois School of Medicine

2007-2011 Daniel Miller, undergraduate research assistant, laboratory technician at University of

Illinois

2008-2010 Erik Haferkamp, undergraduate research assistant

2007-2010 Zack Johnson, undergraduate research assistant, PhD candidate at Emory

2007-2010 Andrew Revis, undergraduate research assistant, MS from Emory

2007-2009 Emily Puchalski, undergraduate research assistant, currently a Lawyer

2006-2007 Adam Craig, undergraduate research assistant, Marine corps

Ad-hoc Journal Reviewer

Journal of Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Aging, Journal of Neurochemistry, Neuroscience,

Psychoneuroendocrinology, PLoS ONE, Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, Behavioural Brain Research,

Synapse, Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Behavior

Genetics, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Genes Brain and Behavior, Journal of

Neuroscience Research, Brain Research, Journal of Ethology, Journal of Applied Physiology, Physiology &

Behavior, Pharmacology Biochemistry, Brain Behavior and Immunity, Neuropsychopharmacology,

European Journal of Neuroscience, Learning & Memory, Cognitive Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience,

Age, Neuroscience Letters, Brain Plasticity

Professional Societies

2007-Present Society for Neuroscience

2010-2011 International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society

2003 Phi Beta Kappa

2002 Gold Key

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

Laboratory Techniques

Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drug (DREADD)

Viral vector maintenance and delivery

Immunohistochemistry

Microdialysis

Drug microinjection

Fluorescent and radioactive in situ hybridization

7

Golgi-Cox Staining

Camera Lucida

Sholl analysis

ELISA

Stereology

c-Fos (or immediate early gene) protein brain mapping

Assessment of in vivo cellular division via BrdU

Western blot

Cell culture

Assessment of myogenic tone in freshly dissected micro-blood vessels

Surgical Techniques (rat and mouse)

Stereotaxic surgery

Osmotic pump implantation

Brain micro-dissection

Brain slicing (cryostat, microtome, vibratome)

Whole rodent body perfusions

Behavioral Techniques

Bussey chamber operant touchscreens for rodents

Voluntary running wheel set-up and data analysis

Environmental enrichment

Acute and chronic stress protocols

Water Maze

Y/T-maze

Elevated Plus

Rotarod (motor learning)

Aversive/motivated learning

Fear conditioning (contextual and auditory)

Learned helplessness

Open Field

Statistic Program Proficiency

R

SAS

Statview