Areas of Interest
Opioids, neural control of breathing, electrophysiology
Honors & Awards
2021 New Investigator Award, Respiration Section, American Physiological Society
2020 Exemplary Teacher Award, University of Florida, College of Medicine
2015 Usha Award, American Physiological Society, Respiration Section
2014 Junior investigator best poster award, Winter Conference on Brain Research
2012-14 NIH Post-doctoral Individual NRSA (F32 DA33036)
2011-15 International Narcotics Research Conference Travel Award
2010-11 Training Program in Neuronal Signaling (T32 NS07381)
2008-10 NIH Pre-doctoral Individual NRSA (F31 DA23339)
Credentials
PhD, Pharmacology, University of Michigan
Post-doctoral Fellow, Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
Grants
Title: Neural basis of opioid-induced respiratory depression
Title: Effect of Positive Allosteric Modulation of Dopamine D2 Receptors on Respiration in Mouse models of Rett Syndrome
Published Articles or Reviews
Saunders SE, Baekey DM and Levitt ES (2022) Fentanyl effects on respiratory neuron activity in the dorsolateral pons. J Neurophysiol 128:1117-1132. PMID: 36197016
Maletz SN*, Reid BT*, Varga AG and Levitt ES (2022) Nucleus tractus solitarius neurons activated by hypercapnia and hypoxia lack mu opioid receptor expression. Front Mol Neurosci 15:932189. PMID: 35898697
Varga AG, Whitaker-Fornek JR, Maletz SN and Levitt ES (2022) Activation of Orexin-2 Receptors in the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus of anesthetized mice leads to transient slowing of respiratory rate. Front Physiol 13:977569. PMID: 36406987
Bateman JT and Levitt ES. (2022) Opioid Suppression of an Excitatory Pontomedullary Respiratory Circuit by Convergent Mechanisms. BioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.06.24.497461
Bateman JT and Levitt ES (2021) Evaluation of G protein bias and β-arrestin 2 signaling in opioid-induced respiratory depression. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 321:C681-C683. PMID: 34469203
Bateman JT*, Saunders SE* and Levitt ES (2021) Understanding and countering opioid-induced respiratory depression. Brit J Pharmacol PMID:34089181
Ramirez JM, Burgraff NJ, Wei AD, Baertsch NA, Varga AG, Baghdoyan HA, Lydic R, Morris KF, Bolser DC, Levitt ES (2021) Neuronal mechanisms underlying opioid induced respiratory depression: Our current understanding. J Neurophysiol 125:1899-1919. PMID:33826874
Varga AG, Maletz SN, Bateman JT, Reid BT and Levitt ES (2021) Neurochemistry of the Kölliker-Fuse nucleus from a respiratory perspective. J Neurochem 156:16-37. PMID:32396650
Tadjalli A, Seven YB, Sharma A, McCurdy CR, Bolser DC, Levitt ES and Mitchell GS (2021) Acute morphine blocks spinal respiratory motor plasticity via long-latency mechanisms that require toll-like receptor 4 signaling J Physiol 599:3771-3797. PMID: 34142718 [Selected as Editor’s Choice]
Varga AG, Reid BT, Kieffer BL and Levitt ES (2020) Differential impact of two critical respiratory centers in opioid-induced respiratory depression in awake mice. J Physiol 598:189-205. PMID:31589332 [Selected as Editor's Choice and published in special issue "Experimental Biology 2020"]
Saunders SE and Levitt ES (2020) Kölliker-Fuse/Parabrachial complex mu opioid receptors contribute to fentanyl-induced apnea and respiratory rate depression. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 275:103388. PMID:3195324
Kliewer A, Schmiedel F, Sianati S, Bailey A, Bateman JT, Levitt ES, Williams JT, Christie MJ and Schulz S (2019) Enhanced opioid analgesia and loss of tolerance but exacerbation of side effects in mice expressing phosphorylation-deficient, G protein-biased mu receptors. Nat Commun 10:367. PMID:30664663
Levitt ES and Williams JT (2018) Desensitization and tolerance of mu opioid receptors on pontine Kölliker-Fuse neurons. Mol Pharmacol 93:8-13. PMID:29097440
Levitt ES, Abdala AP, Paton JFR, Bissonnette JM and Williams JT (2015) Mu opioid receptor activation hyperpolarizes respiratory-controlling Kölliker-Fuse neurons and suppresses post-inspiratory drive. J Physiol 593:4453-4469. PMID:26175072 [Recommended by Faculty of 1000.]
Link to pubmed