Monica Oblinger, PhD

Cell Biology and Anatomy Discipline

Dr. Oblinger has been with RFUMS as a faculty member since 1984. Her PhD was obtained in Neuroscience at Purdue University, she also studied at Case Western Reserve University. She is currently Professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at Chicago Medical School. She also serves the University as Associate Vice President for Research Compliance with oversight of IACUC (animal research), IRB (human studies), IBC (biosafety) and COI committees. As an educator, her main teaching is in the Clinical Anatomy courses and Scientific Foundations of Medicine course with additional contributions in other interprofessional courses. As a researcher she previously published 47 scientific papers, 6 book chapters and 65 abstracts, served on several NIH study sections, held a number of NIH and other research grants and mentored numerous PhD students through their research programs. Her research interests are in neuronal injury and molecular mechanism of repair as well as the role of steroid hormones in neural protection during aging as well as after injury.

Teaching

Courses in which Dr. Oblinger lectures:

Clinical Anatomy (MCBA 500 A, B)

Summer Clinical Anatomy (MCBA 501)

Scientific Foundations of Medicine (MCMS 510)

Advanced Cell Biology (GCBA 600)

Cell Biology Journal Club (GCBA 532)

Ethics and Regulatory Issues in Biomedical Research (HIPS 660)

USMLE Board Review – CPR

Back to Basics M3 students

Recent Publications

(selected from 54)

Sarajari, S and Oblinger MM (2010) Estrogen effects on pain sensitivity and neuropeptide expression in rat sensory neurons. Exp. Neurol. 224: 163-169.

Haghighat, N., Oblinger MM and McCandless DW (2004) Cytoprotective effect of estrogen on ammonium chloride treated C6-glioma cells. Neurochemical Res. 29: 1359-1364.

Storer, PD, Houle, JD, Oblinger, MM and Jones, KJ (2002) A combination of gonadal steroid treatment and peripheral nerve grafting results in a peripheral motoneuron-like pattern of bII-tubulin mRNA expression in axotomized hamster rubrospinal motoneurons. J. Comp Neurol. 449: 364-73.

Brown, TJ, Storer, P, Oblinger MM and Jones KJ (2001) Androgenic enhancement of betaII-tubulin mRNA in spinal motoneurons following sciatic nerve injury. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 18:191-198.

Gollapudi, L and Oblinger, MM (2001) Estrogen effects on neurite outgrowth and cytoskeletal gene expression in ERa-transfected PC12 cell lines. Exp. Neurol.171: 308-316.

Taleghany N, Sarajari S, Don Carlos L, Gollapudi L and Oblinger MM (1999) Differential expression of estrogen receptor alpha and beta in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons J. Neurosci Res 57: 603-615.

Gollapudi, L and Oblinger, MM (1999) Estrogen and NGF synergistically protect terminally differentiated ER-transfected PC12 cells from apoptosis. J. Neurosci. Res. 56: 471-481.

Participation

Vice Chair: Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy

Chair: Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

Member: Institutional Biosafety Committee

Member: University Promotions and Tenure Committee

Member: Admissions Committee (CMS)

Member: University Strategic Planning Team

Member: University Environmental Sustainability Steering Committee

Member: Cell Biology & Anatomy Chair Evaluation Committee

Co-Chair, LCME Self Study Group

Member: Editorial Board of J Neuroscience Research

Past Principal Senator of RFUMS Faculty Senate

Past President of Chicago Chapter Society for Neuroscience

Past Member: Rosalind Franklin University Board of Trustees (Faculty Representative, 2011-2014)