ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS, PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS, AND HONORS
Positions and Employment:
Laboratory Research Technician, Dept. Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, 2/80-8/83
Regular Fellow, Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, 4/89-9/91
Research Pharmacologist, Medical Research Service, VAMC, Denver, CO, 1/91-9/91
NIMH Post-doctoral Fellow, Dept. Pharmacology, University of Colorado Health Sciences, Denver. CO, 9/91-9/93
Research Pharmacologist, Medical Research Service, VAMC, Denver, CO, 10/93-10/97
Instructor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences, Denver, CO 10/93-6/94
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, 6/94-3/02
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, 4/02-present
Research Pharmacologist, Medical Research Service, VAMC, Denver, CO, 7/98-present
Honors:
Phi Sigma (Biology Honor Society) - 1973
Psi Chi (Psychology Honor Society) - 1982
Irvine Memorial Fellowship - 1984
NIH/NIDA Predoctoral Fellowship - 1985-1988
Henry Wood Elliot Memorial Award - 1987
Regent’s Dissertation Fellowship - 1988
International Brain Research Organization Travel Award - 1991
International Congress on Schizophrenia Research Young Investigator Award - 1993
Teaching Activities:
Department of Craniofacial Biology, School of Dentistry
- Lecturer, Histology for Dental Hygienists, 1998-2007
- Lecturer, Review of Histology for Dental Students, 2005-present
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine
- Lecturer, Human Behavior, 2005-present
Clinical Activities:
None.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND PUBLICATIONS
Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:
Stevens, K.E., Freedman, R., Collins, A.C., Hall, M., Leonard, S., Marks, M.J., and Rose, G.M.; Genetic correlation of hippocampal auditory evoked response and a-bungarotoxin binding in inbred mouse strains. Neuropsychopharmacol., 15: 152-162, 1996
Stevens, K.E. and Wear, K.D.; Normalizing effects of nicotine and a novel nicotinic agonist on hippocampal auditory gating in two animals models, Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav., 57: 869-874, 1997
Stevens, K.E., Johnson, R.G. and Rose, G.M.; Rats reared in social isolation show schizophrenia-like changes in auditory gating, Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav.58: 1031-1036,1997
Stevens, K.E., Kem, W.R., Mahnir, V. and Freedman, R.; Selective a7 nicotinic agonists normalize inhibition of auditory response in DBA mice, Psychopharmacol. 136:320-327, 1998
Lijam, N., Paylor, R., McDonald, M.P., Crawley, J.N., Deng, C.-X., Herrup, K., Stevens, K.E., Maccaferri, G., McBain, C.J.,Sussman, D.J. and Wynshaw-Boris, A., Social interaction and sensorimotor gating abnormalities in mice lacking DV/1, Cell 90: 895-905, 1997
Johnson, R.G., Stevens, K.E., and Rose, G.M. 5HT2 receptor activation normalizes amphetamine-induced auditory filtering impairments in the rat, JPET , 285: 643-650, 1998
Adams, C.E. and Stevens, K.E. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase disrupts inhibitory gating of auditory responses in rat hippocampus. JPET, 287: 760-765, 1998
Stevens, K.E., Kem, W.R. and Freedman, R. Selective a7 nicotinic receptor stimulation normalizes chronic cocaine-induced loss of hippocampal sensory inhibition in C3H mice. Biol. Psyhiat., 46:1443-1450, 1999.
Adams, C.E., Stevens, K.E., Kem W.R. and Freedman, R. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase prevents a7 nicotinic receptor-mediated restoration of inhibitory auditory gating in rat hippocampus. Brain Res. 877:235-244, 2000
Freedman, R., Adams, C.E., Alder, L.E., Bickford, P.C., Gault, J., Harris, J.C., Nagamoto, H.T., Olincy, A., Ross, R.G., Stevens, K.E., Waldo, M. and Leonard, S. Inhibitory neurophysiological deficit as a phenotype for genetic investigation of schizophrenia. Am J Medical Genetics (Semin Med Genet) 97:58-64, 2000
de Bruin, N.M.W.J., Ellenbroek, B.A., van Luijtelaar, E.L.J.M., Cools, A.R. and Stevens, K.E. Hippocampal and cortical sensory gating in rats: Effects of quinpirole microinjections in nucleus accumbens core and shell. Neuroscience, 105:169-180 2001
Simosky, J.K., Stevens, K.E., Kem, W.R. and Freedman, R. Intragastric DMXB-A, an a7 nicotinic agonist, improves deficient sensory inhibition in DBA/2 mice. Biol. Psychiat. (in press) 2001
Stevens, K.E., Bullock, A.E. and Collins, A.C. Chronic corticosterone treatment alters sensory gating in C3H mice. Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav., 69:359-366, 2001
Simosky, J.K., Stevens, K.E. and Freedman, R. Nicotinic agonists and psychosis. Current Drug Targets: CNS and Neurological Disorders, 1: 149-162, 2002
Simosky, J.K., Stevens, K.E., Adler, L.E. and Freedman, R. Clozapine improves deficient inhibitory auditory processing in DBA/2 mice, via a nicotinic cholinergic mechanism. Psychopharmacology 165: 386-396, 2003
O’Neill, H.C., Reiger, K., Kem, W.R. and Stevens, K.E. DMXB, an a7 nicotinic agonist, normalizes auditory gating in isolation reared rats. Psychopharmacology , 169: 332-339, 2003
O’Neill, H.C., Schmitt, M.P. and Stevens, K.E. Lithium alters measures of auditory gating in two strains of mice. Biol. Psychiat. 54: 847-853, 2003
Freedman R. Olincy A. Ross RG. Waldo MC. Stevens KE. Adler LE. Leonard S. The genetics of sensory gating deficits in schizophrenia. Current Psychiatry Reports. 5: 155-61, 2003.
Koike K., Hashimoto K., Taka N., Shimizu E., Komatsu N., Watanabe H., Nakazato M., Okamura N., Stevens K.E., Freedman R. and Iyo M. Tropisetron improves deficits of auditory sensory P50 suppression in schizophrenic patients. Schizophrenia Res. 76: 67-72, 2005
Hashimoto K., Iyo M., Freedman R and Stevens K.E. Tropisetro improved deficient inhibitory auditory processing in DBA/2 mice: Role of a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Psychopharmacol. (in press) 2005.
Olincy A., Harris J.G., Johnson L.L., Pender V., Kongs S., Allensworth D., Ellis J., Zerbe G.O., Leonard S., Stevens K.E., Stevens J.O., Martin L., Alder L.E., Soti F., Kem W.R. and Freedman R. Proof-of-principle trial of an a7- nicotinic cholinergic agonist for neurocognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 63:630-638, 2006
Swerdlow NR, Geyer MA, Shoemaker JM, Light GA, Braff DL, Stevens KE, Sharp R, Breier M, Neary A and Auerbach PP. Convergence and divergence in the neurochemical regulation of prepulse inhibition of startle and N40 suppression in rats. Neuropsychopharmacol. 31:506-515, 2006
Stevens, KE, O'Neill, HC, Rose GM, and Luthman J. The 5-HT1A receptor active compounds (R)-8-OH-DPAT and (S)-UH-301 modulate auditory evoked EEG responses in rats. Amino Acids 31:365-375, 2006
Adams, CE, and Stevens, KE. Evidence for a role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in schizophrenia. Frontiers in Biology 12:4755-4772, 2007
Ng, HJ, Whittemore, ER, Tran, MB, Hogenkamp, DK, Broide, RS, Johnstone, TB, Zheng, L, Stevens, KE and Gee, KW. A nootropic a7 nicotinic receptor allosteric modulator derived from GABAA receptor modulators. PNAS 104:8059-8064, 2007
Olincy, A and Stevens, KE. Treating the symptoms of schizophrenia with an a7 nicotinic agonist: from mice to men. Molecular Pharmacology, 74(8):1192-201. 2007
Stevens, KE, Adams, CE, Yonchek, J, Hickel, C, Danielson, J, and Kisley, MA. Permanent improvement in deficient sensory inhibition in DBA/2 mice with increased perinatal choline. Psychopharmacol., 198:413-20, 2008.
Abrams, DJ, Zheng, L, Choo, K, Yang, JJ, Wei, W, Anchordoquy TJ, Zawia NH, and Stevens, K.E. An Initial Animal Proof-of-Concept Study for Central Administration of Clozapine to Schizophrenia Patients. Schizophr Res, 100:86-96 ,2008
Adams, CE, Yonchek JC, Zheng L, Collins AC and Stevens K.E. Altered hippocampal circuit function in C3H a7 receptor null mutant heterozygous mice. Brain Res, 1194:138-145, 2008
Freedman R, Olincy A, Buchanan RW, Harris JG, Gold JM, Johnson L, Allensworth D, Guzman-Bonilla A, Clement B, Vall MP, Kutnick J, Pender V, Martin LF, Stevens KE, Wagner BD, Zerbe ZO, Soti F and Kem WR. Initial Phase 2 trial of a nicotinic agonist in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiat 165:1040-47, 2008
Wildeboer, K.M. and Stevens, K.E Stimulation of the a4b2 nicotinic receptor by 5-IA-85380 improves auditory gating in DBA/2 mice. Am J Psychiat 165:1040-47, 2008
Simosky, JK, Freedman, R and Stevens, KE. Olanzapine improves deficient sensory inhibition in DBA/2 mice. Brain Res, 1233:129-136 , 2008
Stevens KE, Adams CE, Mellott TJ, Robbins E, and Kisley MA. Perinatal choline deficiency produces abrnormal sensory inhibition in Sprague-Dawley rates. Brain Res, 1237:84-90, 2008
Grants and Contracts:
NIMH 1 RO1 MH073725-01 (PI –KE Stevens), 8/06-7/09 (no-cost extension 7/10)
“Gestational choline levels and sensory inhibition”
Gestational choline supplementation in DBA/2 mice produces permanent improvement in sensory inhibition, improves contextual fear conditioning and novel object recognition.
NIMH 1 RO1 MH50787-01 (PI – L Adler), 8/94-5/09
“Atypical antipsychotics and P50 sensory gating”
Co-investigator. Major findings: The antiemetic, tropisetron, which is a 5HT3 antagonist and an 7 nicotinic agonist, improves sensory inhibition in DBA/2 mice through both 7 and nicotinic receptor mechanisms. Similarly the antiemetic ondansetron also improves sensory inhibition when administered acutely, but not chronically.
VA Medical Center, VAMC Merit Review Grant (PI –KE Stevens), 10/08-9/12
“Nicotine interference with clozapine efficacy in schizophrenia treatment”
New grant, no findings yet.