Kathy R. Magnusson, DVM, PhD
Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine
Kathy.Magnusson@oregonstate.edu
Society for Neuroscience
American Association of Veterinary Anatomists
World Association of Veterinary Anatomists
American Aging Association
Gerontological Society of America
1976 Freshman Women's Honor Society - Utah State University
1982 Phi Zeta - Veterinary Honor Society - University of Minnesota
1986 Finalist - Jan Langman Award for Outstanding Student Presentation - AAA
1986 Louise Dosdall Fellowship for Women in Sciences - University of Minnesota Graduate School (declined because of NIH grant)
1986-91 NIH Physician Scientist Award, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
1987 Gamma Sigma Delta - Agricultural Honor Society - University of Minnesota
1988 Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society - University of Minnesota
1992-93 American Federation for Aging Research - research grant
1992-97 NIH FIRST Award, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
1995-2000 NIH Research Career Development Award, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
2004-2008 Member of National Institutes of Health's Learning and Memory study section
PhD 1989 Veterinary Anatomy / Neuroscience
DVM 1982 Veterinary Medicine
BS 1980 Veterinary Science
All at University of Minnesota, St. Paul
I'm an aging neuroscientist (in more ways than one), interested in how we can prevent or repair the declines that occur during aging in learning and memory ability. I'm hoping to figure this out before I forget what the question is.
We've been characterizing changes in the expression of a receptor that is very important for the formation of memories, the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. This receptor uses glutamate as a transmitter.
The NMDA receptor shows greater declines in binding of glutamate with increased age than any of the other glutamate receptors. We've found relationships between NMDA receptor binding and expressions of two NMDA receptor subunits, epsilon2 (NR2B) and epsilon1 (NR2A), during aging. We've also shown associations between age-related changes in NMDA binding densities and subunit expressions and declines in both working and reference memory ability.
We are continuing to characterize the changes that occur in the NMDA receptor with increasing age. We are planning to look at the functional consequences of decreased expression of the epsilon2 (NR2B) subunit, specific changes in the splice variants of the zeta1 (NR1) subunit, and the different effects of exercise, learning and caloric restriction on NMDA receptor expression. We are also trying to determine exactly what role NMDA receptors in the prefrontal cortex play in different forms of memory. Ultimately we want to discover the mechanisms 
underlying the age-related changes in the NMDA receptor.
The lab's main goal is to find interventions into aging that will help to maintain the quality of life into old age. We're also interested in helping to better understand the function of the NMDA receptor in different brain regions.
Magnusson, K.R., B. Scruggs, X. Zhao, and R. Hammersmark (2007) Age-related declines in a two-day reference memory task are associated with changes in NMDA receptor subunits in mice. BMC Neuroscience (In Press).
Magnusson KR, D Kresge, and J Supon. (2006) NMDA receptors are more affected by aging in intermediate hippocampus than in dorsal. (PDF) Neurobiol. Aging 27:324-333.
Magnusson KR, L Bai, and X Zhao. (2005) The Effects of Aging on Different C-Terminal Splice Forms of the zeta1(NR1) Subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptor in Mice. Mol Brain Res. 135:141-149.
Burkhart DJ, AR McKenzie, JK Nelson, KI Myers, X Zhao, KR Magnusson, and NR Natale. (2004) The catalytic asymmetric synthesis of glutamate analogues. Org Let 6. 1285-8.
Bai L, PR Hof, DG Standaert, Y Xing, SE Nelson, AB Young, and KR Magnusson. (2004) Changes in the expression of the NR2B subunit during aging in macaque monkeys (PDF). Neurobiol Aging. 25:201-208.
Ontl T, Y Xing, L Bai, E Kennedy, S Nelson, M Wakeman, and K Magnusson. (2004) Development and aging of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor expression in the prefrontal / frontal cortex of mice (PDF). Neuroscience. 123:467-479.
Kuehl-Kovarik MC, KM Partin, and KR Magnusson. (2003) Analyses of NMDA responses from acutely dissociated cortical neurons during aging. J Neurosci. Meth. 129:11-17.
Hellyer PW, L Bai, J Supon , C Quail , AE Wagner, KR Mama, KR Magnusson. (2003) Comparison of CNS opiate and α-2 adrenergic receptor binding in the horse and dog using radioligand binding. Veterinary Anesthesia & Analgesia. 30:172-182.
Magnusson KR, B Scruggs, J Aniya, KC Wright, T Ontl, Y Xing, L Bai. (2003) Age-related deficits in mice performing working memory tasks in a water maze. Behav Neurosci. 117:485-495.
Noonan CW, JS Reif, JB Burch, and KR Magnusson. (2002) Relationship Between Amyloid Beta Protein and Melatonin Metabolite in a Study of Electric Utility Workers. J Occ Env Med. 44:769-775.
Magnusson KR, SE Nelson, and AB Young. (2002) Age-related changes in the protein expression of subunits of the NMDA receptor. Mol Brain Res. 99:40-45.
Magnusson KR. (2001) Influence of diet restriction on NMDA receptor subunits and learning during aging. Neurobiol Aging. 22:613-627.
Newman HM, RSH Yang, and KR Magnusson. (2001) Developmental exposure to lead, magnesium and zinc mixtures alters spatial memory capabilities and expression of NMDA-receptor subunit mRNA in Fischer 344 rats. Toxicol Lett. 126:107-119.
Kuehl-Kovarik MC, KR Magnusson, LS Premkumar, KM Partin. (2000) Electrophysiological analysis of NMDA receptor subunit changes in the aging mouse cortex. Mech Ageing Dev. 115:39-59.
Magnusson KR, C Rinehart, A Wagner, C Dunlop. (2000) Changes in anesthetic sensitivity and glutamate receptors in the aging canine brain. J Gerontol Biol Sci. 55A:B448-B454.
Magnusson KR. (2000) Declines in mRNA expression of different subunits may account for differential effects of aging on agonist and antagonist binding to the NMDA receptor. J Neurosci. 20:1666-1674.
Magnusson KR. (1998)The aging of the NMDA receptor complex. Front Biosci. 3:e70-80.
Magnusson KR. (1998) The aging of glutamate receptors: Correlations between receptor binding and spatial memory performance in C57B1 mice. Mech Ageing Dev. 104:227-248.
Magnusson KR. (1997) The effects of age and dietary restriction on metabotropic glutamate receptors. J Gerontol. 52A:B291-B299.
Magnusson KR. (1995) Differential effects of aging on binding sites of the NMDA receptor complex in mice. Mech Ageing Dev. 84:227-24
This is the picture from our most recent laboratory T-shirt.
It was designed by Dr. Anna D. Fails, Dept. of Biomedical Sciences,
College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University.