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Fred J. Helmstetter, Professor

Prof. Fred Helmstetter

Office: Garland Hall, Room 207
Phone: 414-229-4903
e-mail: fjh@uwm.edu
Web Site: www.uwm.edu/~fjh
Lab Page: www.uwm.edu/~fjh/helmlab/

Degree:
Ph.D., Dartmouth College, 1989

Research:
Our work is aimed at understanding the neural systems underlying complex psychological phenomena like perception, learning, memory, and emotion. The research currently being conducted in my laboratory addresses these issues at several levels of analysis using laboratory animals and human volunteers as subjects. Research projects currently underway include:

  • Studies on the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms involved in long-term memory formation.
  • Examination of the neurobiological mechanisms through which motivation and emotion can influence learning.
  • Functional mapping of brain circuits important for implicit and explicit memory performance using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in human volunteers.

Extramurally funded research assistant positions are available to qualified students. Please feel free to contact me or visit our web site www.uwm.edu/~fjh/helmlab for further details.

Recent Publications:
Parsons, R.G., Riedner, B.A., Gafford, G.M. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2006) The Formation of auditory fear memory requires the synthesis of protein and mRNA in the auditory thalamus. Neuroscience, 141:1163-1170.

Cheng, D.T., Knight, D.C., Smith, C.N., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2006) Human amygdala activity during the expression of fear responses. Behavioral Neuroscience, 120.

Parsons, R.G. , Gafford, G.M., Baruch, D.E., Riedner, B.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2006) Long term stability of fear memory depends on the synthesis of protein but not mRNA in the amygdala. European Journal of Neuroscience, 23:1853-1859.

Shin, M.S. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2005) Antinociception following application of DAMGO to the basolateral amygdala results from a direct interaction of DAMGO with mu opioid receptors in the amygdala. Brain Research.

Gafford, G.M., Parsons, R.G. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2005) Effects of post training hippocampal injections of midazolam on fear conditioning. Learning & Memory, 12:573-578.

Knight, D.C., Smith, C.N., Cheng, D.T., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2004) Learning-related patterns of brain activiation revealed using fMRI during acquisition and extinction of Pavlovian conditioned fear. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 4:317-325.

Knight, D.C., Cheng, D.T., Smith, C.N., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2004) Neural substrates mediating human delay and trace fear conditioning. Journal of Neuroscience, 24:218-228.

Cheng, D.T., Knight, D.C., Smith, C.N., Stein, E.A. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2003) Functional MRI of human amygdala activity during Pavlovian fear conditioning: Stimulus processing versus response expression. Behavioral Neuroscience 117:3-10. 46.

Helmstetter, F.J. (2003) Genetic Substrates of Memory: Amygdala. In Learning & Memory, 2nd Ed. J.H. Byrne, editor. New York: MacMillan.

Bailey, D.J., Tetzlaff, J.E., Cook, J.M., He, X. & Helmstetter, F.J. (2002) Effects of hippocampal injections of a novel ligand selective for the a5b2g2 subunits of the GABA/Benzodiazepine receptor on Pavlovian conditioning. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 78:1-10. 45.