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Photo of  Yvonne M. Ulrich-Lai, PHD

Yvonne M. Ulrich-Lai, PHD

Professor

Pharmacology & Systems Physiology | College of Medicine

Education/Credentials
  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  • Doctoral Degree: University of Minnesota (Neuroscience)
  • Bachelor's Degree: Harvey Mudd College (Biology)
Contact Information
Research Interests

The goal of my research program is to identify the neural and hormonal substrates that are responsible for the interactions among diet, obesity and stress.  Obesity is a major health problem affecting 30% of adults in the United States.  Despite public health efforts to combat obesity, it continues to rapidly increase in incidence, along with obesity-related diseases and health costs.  Similarly, stress-related psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, affect large segments o...

Peer Reviewed Publications

Almehmadi, Khulood; Fourman, Sarah; Buesing, Dana; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2023. Western diet-induced obesity interferes with the HPA axis-blunting effects of palatable food in male rats. Physiology & behavior, 270 , 114285

Fourman, Sarah; Buesing, Dana; Girvin, Sean; Nashawi, Houda; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2021. Limited cheese intake reduces HPA axis and behavioral stress responses in male rats. Physiology & behavior, 242 , 113614

Liu, Min; Shen, Ling; Yang, Qing; Nauli, Andromeda M; Bingamon, Madison; Wang, David Q-H; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Tso, Patrick 2021. Sexual dimorphism in intestinal absorption and lymphatic transport of dietary lipids. The Journal of physiology, 599 22, 5015-5030

Ibrahim, Shaimaa I A; Strong, Judith A; Qualls, Katherine A; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Zhang, Jun-Ming 2020. Differential Regulation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor in a Rat Model of Inflammatory Pain. Anesthesia and analgesia, 131 1, 298-306

Egan, Ann E; Seemiller, Laurel R; Packard, Amy E B; Solomon, Matia B; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2019. Palatable food reduces anxiety-like behaviors and HPA axis responses to stress in female rats in an estrous-cycle specific manner. Hormones and behavior, 115 , 104557

Schaeuble, Derek; Packard, Amy E B; McKlveen, Jessica M; Morano, Rachel; Fourman, Sarah; Smith, Brittany L; Scheimann, Jessie R; Packard, Benjamin A; Wilson, Steven P; James, Jeanne; Hui, David Y; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Herman, James P; Myers, Brent 2019. Prefrontal Cortex Regulates Chronic Stress-Induced Cardiovascular Susceptibility. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8 24, e014451

Egan, Ann E; Thompson, Abigail M K; Buesing, Dana; Fourman, Sarah M; Packard, Amy E B; Terefe, Tegesty; Li, Dan; Wang, Xia; Song, Seongho; Solomon, Matia B; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2018. Palatable Food Affects HPA Axis Responsivity and Forebrain Neurocircuitry in an Estrous Cycle-specific Manner in Female Rats. Neuroscience, 384 , 224-240

Ryan, Karen K; Packard, Amy E B; Larson, Karlton R; Stout, Jayna; Fourman, Sarah M; Thompson, Abigail M K; Ludwick, Kristen; Habegger, Kirk M; Stemmer, Kerstin; Itoh, Nobuyuki; Perez-Tilve, Diego; Tschöp, Matthias H; Seeley, Randy J; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2018. Dietary Manipulations That Induce Ketosis Activate the HPA Axis in Male Rats and Mice: A Potential Role for Fibroblast Growth Factor-21. Endocrinology, 159 1, 400-413

Song, Zongbin; Xie, Wenrui; Strong, Judith A; Berta, Temugin; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Guo, Qulian; Zhang, Jun-Ming 2018. High-fat diet exacerbates postoperative pain and inflammation in a sex-dependent manner. Pain, 159 9, 1731-1741

Myers, Brent; McKlveen, Jessica M; Morano, Rachel; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Solomon, Matia B; Wilson, Steven P; Herman, James P 2017. Vesicular Glutamate Transporter 1 Knockdown in Infralimbic Prefrontal Cortex Augments Neuroendocrine Responses to Chronic Stress in Male Rats. Endocrinology, 158 10, 3579-3591

Myers, Brent; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2017. The impact of psychological stress on cardiovascular function and health. Physiology & behavior, 172 , 1-2

Packard, Amy E B; Di, Shi; Egan, Ann E; Fourman, Sarah M; Tasker, Jeffrey G; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2017. Sucrose-induced plasticity in the basolateral amygdala in a 'comfort' feeding paradigm. Brain structure & function, ,

Packard, Amy E B; Zhang, Jintao; Myers, Brent; Ko, Chih-Wei; Wang, Fei; Tso, Patrick; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2017. Apolipoprotein A-IV constrains HPA and behavioral stress responsivity in a strain-dependent manner. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 86 , 34-44

Smith, Brittany L; Morano, Rachel L; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Myers, Brent; Solomon, Matia B; Herman, James P 2017. Adolescent environmental enrichment prevents behavioral and physiological sequelae of adolescent chronic stress in female (but not male) rats. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), , 1-10

Song, Zongbin; Xie, Wenrui; Chen, Sisi; Strong, Judith A; Print, Mason S; Wang, Joy I; Shareef, Aleeya F; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Zhang, Jun-Ming 2017. High-fat diet increases pain behaviors in rats with or without obesity. Scientific reports, 7 1, 10350

Goodson, M L; Packard, A E B; Buesing, D R; Maney, M; Myers, B; Fang, Y; Basford, J E; Hui, D Y; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Herman, J P; Ryan, K K 2016. Chronic stress and Rosiglitazone increase indices of vascular stiffness in male rats. Physiology & behavior, ,

Myers, Brent; Carvalho-Netto, Eduardo; Wick-Carlson, Dayna; Wu, Christine; Naser, Sam; Solomon, Matia B; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Herman, James P 2016. GABAergic Signaling within a Limbic-Hypothalamic Circuit Integrates Social and Anxiety-Like Behavior with Stress Reactivity. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 41 6, 1530-9

Packard, Amy E B; Egan, Ann E; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2016. HPA Axis Interactions with Behavioral Systems. Comprehensive Physiology, 6 4, 1897-1934

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2016. Self-medication with sucrose. Current opinion in behavioral sciences, 9 , 78-83

Bundzikova-Osacka, Jana; Ghosal, Sriparna; Packard, Benjamin A; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Herman, James P 2015. Role of nucleus of the solitary tract noradrenergic neurons in post-stress cardiovascular and hormonal control in male rats. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 18 2, 221-32

de Kloet, Annette D; Krause, Eric G; Solomon, Matia B; Flak, Jonathan N; Scott, Karen A; Kim, Dong-Hoon; Myers, Brent; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Woods, Stephen C; Seeley, Randy J; Herman, James P 2015. Adipocyte glucocorticoid receptors mediate fat-to-brain signaling. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 56 , 110-9

Egan, Ann E; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2015. Activation of physiological stress responses by a natural reward: Novel vs. repeated sucrose intake. Physiology & behavior, 150 , 43-52

Gutierrez-Aguilar, Ruth; Thompson, Abigail; Marchand, Nathalie; Dumont, Patrick; Woods, Stephen C; de Launoit, Yvan; Seeley, Randy J; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2015. The obesity-associated transcription factor ETV5 modulates circulating glucocorticoids. Physiology & behavior, 150 , 38-42

Ressler, Ilana B; Grayson, Bernadette E; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Seeley, Randy J 2015. Diet-induced obesity exacerbates metabolic and behavioral effects of polycystic ovary syndrome in a rodent model. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism, 308 12, E1076-84

Sah, Renu; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2015. Introduction to the 2014 Neurobiology of Stress Special Issue. Physiology & behavior, 150 , 1

Thompson, Abigail K; Fourman, Sarah; Packard, Amy E B; Egan, Ann E; Ryan, Karen K; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2015. Metabolic consequences of chronic intermittent mild stress exposure. Physiology & behavior, 150 , 24-30

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Christiansen, Anne M; Wang, Xia; Song, Seongho; Herman, James P 2015. Statistical modeling implicates neuroanatomical circuit mediating stress relief by 'comfort' food. Brain structure & function, ,

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Fulton, Stephanie; Wilson, Mark; Petrovich, Gorica; Rinaman, Linda 2015. Stress exposure, food intake and emotional state. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), , 1-19

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Fulton, Stephanie; Wilson, Mark; Petrovich, Gorica; Rinaman, Linda 2015. Stress exposure, food intake and emotional state. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), , 1-19

Grayson, Bernadette E; Hakala-Finch, Andrew P; Kekulawala, Melani; Laub, Holly; Egan, Ann E; Ressler, Ilana B; Woods, Stephen C; Herman, James P; Seeley, Randy J; Benoit, Stephen C; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2014. Weight loss by calorie restriction versus bariatric surgery differentially regulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in male rats. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 17 6, 484-93

Packard, Amy E B; Ghosal, Sriparna; Herman, James P; Woods, Stephen C; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2014. Chronic variable stress improves glucose tolerance in rats with sucrose-induced prediabetes. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 47 , 178-88

Ryan, Karen K; Mul, Joram D; Clemmensen, Christoffer; Egan, Ann E; Begg, Denovan P; Halcomb, Kristen; Seeley, Randy J; Herman, James P; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2014. Loss of melanocortin-4 receptor function attenuates HPA responses to psychological stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 42 , 98-105

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Ryan, Karen K 2014. Neuroendocrine circuits governing energy balance and stress regulation: functional overlap and therapeutic implications. Cell metabolism, 19 6, 910-25

Ryan, Karen K; Grayson, Bernadette E; Jones, Kenneth R; Schneider, Alexander L; Woods, Stephen C; Seeley, Randy J; Herman, James P; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M 2012. Physiological responses to acute psychological stress are reduced by the PPARgamma agonist rosiglitazone. Endocrinology, 153 3, 1279-87

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Ryan, Karen K 2012. PPARgamma and stress: Implications for aging. Experimental gerontology, ,

Ziegler, Dana R; Edwards, Monica R; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Herman, James P; Cullinan, William E 2012. Brainstem origins of glutamatergic innervation of the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. The Journal of comparative neurology, 520 11, 2369-94

Christiansen, A M; de Kloet, A D; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Herman, J P 2011. 'Snacking' causes long term attenuation of HPA axis stress responses and enhancement of brain FosB/deltaFosB expression in rats Physiology & Behavior, 103 1, 111-116

Christiansen, A M; Dekloet, A D; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Herman, J P 2011. "Snacking" causes long term attenuation of HPA axis stress responses and enhancement of brain FosB/deltaFosB expression in rats. Physiology & behavior, 103 1, 111-6

Christiansen, A M; Herman, J P; Ulrich-Lai, Y M 2011. Regulatory interactions of stress and reward on rat forebrain opioidergic and GABAergic circuitry Stress, 14 2, 205-215

Christiansen, A M; Herman, J P; Ulrich-Lai, Y M 2011. Regulatory interactions of stress and reward on rat forebrain opioidergic and GABAergic circuitry. Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 14 2, 205-15

Krause, E G; de Kloet, A D; Scott, K A; Flak, J N; Jones, K; Smeltzer, M D; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Woods, S C; Wilson, S P; Reagan, L P; Herman, J P; Sakai, R R 2011. Blood-borne angiotensin II acts in the brain to influence behavioral and endocrine responses to psychogenic stress Journal of Neuroscience, 31 42, 15009-15015

Krause, Eric G; de Kloet, Annette D; Scott, Karen A; Flak, Jonathan N; Jones, Kenneth; Smeltzer, Michael D; Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Woods, Stephen C; Wilson, Steven P; Reagan, Lawrence P; Herman, James P; Sakai, Randall R 2011. Blood-borne angiotensin II acts in the brain to influence behavioral and endocrine responses to psychogenic stress. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 31 42, 15009-15

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Jones, K R; Ziegler, D C; Cullinan, W E; Herman, J P 2011. Forebrain origins of glutamatergic innervation to the rat paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus: differential inputs to the anterior versus posterior subregions Journal of Comparative Neurology, 519 7, 1301-1319

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Ostrander, M M; Herman, J P 2011. HPA axis dampening by limited sucrose intake: reward frequency vs. caloric consumption Physiology & Behavior, 103 1, 104-110

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Jones, Kenneth R; Ziegler, Dana R; Cullinan, William E; Herman, James P 2011. Forebrain origins of glutamatergic innervation to the rat paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus: differential inputs to the anterior versus posterior subregions. The Journal of comparative neurology, 519 7, 1301-19

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Ostrander, Michelle M; Herman, James P 2011. HPA axis dampening by limited sucrose intake: reward frequency vs. caloric consumption. Physiology & behavior, 103 1, 104-10

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Christiansen, A M; Ostrander, M M; Jones, A A; Jones, K R; Choi, D C; Krause, E G; Evanson, N K; Furay, A R; Davis, J F; Solomon, M B; de Kloet, A D; Tamashiro, K L; Sakai, R R; Seeley, R J; Woods, S C; Herman, J P 2010. Pleasurable behaviors reduce stress via brain reward pathways Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 107 47, 20529-20534

Ulrich-Lai, Yvonne M; Christiansen, Anne M; Ostrander, Michelle M; Jones, Amanda A; Jones, Kenneth R; Choi, Dennis C; Krause, Eric G; Evanson, Nathan K; Furay, Amy R; Davis, Jon F; Solomon, Matia B; de Kloet, Annette D; Tamashiro, Kellie L; Sakai, Randall R; Seeley, Randy J; Woods, Stephen C; Herman, James P 2010. Pleasurable behaviors reduce stress via brain reward pathways. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107 47, 20529-34

Ostrander, M M; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Choi, D C; Flak, J N; Richtand, N M; Herman, J P 2009. Chronic stress produces enduring decreases in novel stress-evoked c-fos mRNA expression in discrete brain regions of the rat Stress, 12 6, 469-477

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Herman, J P 2009. Neural regulation of endocrine and autonomic stress responses Nature reviews: Neuroscience, 10 6, 397-409

Choi, D C; Evanson, N K; Furay, A R; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Ostrander, M M; Herman, J P 2008. The anteroventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis differentially regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis responses to acute and chronic stress Endocrinology, 149 2, 818-826

Choi, D C; Furay, A R; Evanson, N K; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Nguyen, M M N; Ostrander, M M; Herman, J P 2008. The role of the posterior medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in modulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis responsiveness to acute and chronic stress Psychoneuroendocrinology, 33 5, 659-669

Choi, D C; Furay, A R; Evanson, N K; Ostrander, M M; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Herman, J P 2007. Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis subregions differentially regulate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity: implications for the integration of limbic inputs Journal of Neuroscience, 27 8, 2025-2034

Figueiredo, H F; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Choi, D C; Herman, J P 2007. Estrogen potentiates adrenocortical responses to stress in female rats American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism, 292 4, E1173-1182

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Ostrander, M M; Thomas, I M; Packard, B A; Furay, A R; Dolgas, C M; Van Hooren, D C; Figueiredo, H F; Mueller, N K; Choi, D C; Herman, J P 2007. Daily limited access to sweetened drink attenuates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis stress responses Endocrinology, 148 4, 1823-1834

Ostrander, M M; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Choi, D C; Richtand, N M; Herman, J P 2006. Hypoactivity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis during recovery from chronic variable stress Endocrinology, 147 4, 2008-2017

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Arnhold, M M; Engeland, W C 2006. Adrenal splanchnic innervation contributes to the diurnal rhythm of plasma corticosterone in rats by modulating adrenal sensitivity to ACTH American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 290 4, R1128-1135

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Figueiredo, H F; Ostrander, M M; Choi, D C; Engeland, W C; Herman, J P 2006. Chronic stress induces adrenal hyperplasia and hypertrophy in a subregion-specific manner American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism, 291 5, E965-973

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Xie, W R; Meij, J T A; Dolgas, C M; Yu, L; Herman, J P 2006. Limbic and HPA axis function in an animal model of chronic neuropathic pain Physiology & Behavior, 88 1-2, 67-76

Vahl, T P; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Ostrander, M M; Dolgas, C M; Elfers, E E; Seeley, R J; D'Alessio D A; Herman, J P 2005. Comparative analysis of ACTH and corticosterone sampling methods in rats American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism, 289 5, E823-828

Herman, J P; Figueiredo, H; Mueller, NK; Ulrich-Lai, Y; Ostrander, M M; Choi, D C; Cullinan, W E 2003. Central mechanisms of stress integration: hierarchical circuitry controlling hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical responsiveness Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 24 3, 151-180

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Fraticelli, A I; Engeland, W C 2003. Capsaicin-sensitive nerve fibers: a potential extra-ACTH mechanism participating in adrenal regeneration in rats Microscopy Research and Technique, 61 3, 252-258

Beuschlein, F; Keegan, C E; Bavers, D L; Mutch, C; Hutz, J E; Shah, S; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Engeland, W C; Jeffs, B; Jameson, J L; Hammer, G D 2002. SF-1, DAX-1, and acd: molecular determinants of adrenocortical growth and steroidogenesis Endocrine Research, 28 4, 597-607

Beuschlein, F; Mutch, C; Bavers, D L; Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Engeland, W C; Keegan, C; Hammer, G D 2002. Steroidogenic factor-1 is essential for compensatory adrenal growth following unilateral adrenalectomy Endocrinology, 143 8, 3122-3135

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Engeland, W C 2002. Adrenal splanchnic innervation modulates adrenal cortical responses to dehydration stress in rats Neuroendocrinology, 76 2, 79-92

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Marek, D J; Engeland, W C 2002. Capsaicin-sensitive adrenal sensory fibers participate in compensatory adrenal growth in rats American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 283 4, R877-884

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Flores, C M; Harding-Rose, C A; Goodis, H E; Hargreaves, K M 2001. Capsaicin-evoked release of immunoreactive calcitonin gene-related peptide from rat trigeminal ganglion: evidence for intraganglionic neurotransmission Pain, 91 3, 219-226

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Harding-Rose, C A; Guo, A; Bowles, W R; Engeland, W C 2001. ACTH inhibits the capsaicin-evoked release of CGRP from rat adrenal afferent nerves American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 280 1, R137-142

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Engeland, W C 2000. Rat adrenal transplants are reinnervated: an invalid model of denervated adrenal cortical tissue Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 12 9, 881-893

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Engeland, W C 2000. Hyperinnervation during adrenal regeneration influences the rate of functional recovery Neuroendocrinology, 71 2, 107-23

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Engeland, W C 2000. Neural modulation of regenerating adrenal transplants. Endocrine research, 26 4, 979-80

Flores, C M; Davila-Garcia M I; Ulrich Y M; Kellar K J 1997. Differential regulation of neuronal nicotinic receptor binding sites following chronic nicotine administration J Neurochem, 69 , 2216-2219

Ulrich-Lai, Y M; Hargreaves, K M; Flores, C M 1997. A comparison of multiple injections versus continuous infusion of nicotine for producing up-regulation of neuronal 3H-epibatidine binding sites Neuropharmacology, 36 , 1119-1125