Erika Roman

I have always had a great interest in animals; grew up with dogs, started horse riding at 8 years of age and have had own horses. During the latter part of high school and a few years after, I worked as, what corresponds to today's veterinary nurse at an animal hospital in Jönköping. There was also an interest in drugs and I moved to Uppsala for pharmacy studies at Uppsala University. Thereafter, I continued as a PhD student at the same university and received my PhD in Pharmaceutical Pharmacology in 2004. As a PhD student I came in contact with professor emeritus Bengt J. Meyerson (1933–2015) at Uppsala University. His vast knowledge and fascination for behavioral studies inspired me to focus on neurobiological behavioral studies. My career continued at Uppsala University, first as a postdoctoral fellow in the study of individual differences in behavioral neurobiology with focus on brain reward networks, and then as a researcher. I became a Docent in 2010 and Senior Lecturer in Behavioral Pharmacology in 2014, both at Uppsala University. Since August 2019, I hold a position as Professor in Domestic Animal Neurophysiology at the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (AFB), SLU.

I teach the nervous system anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, sensory organ anatomy and physiology, as well as pain physiology at various levels in the different programs. I also supervise master projects.

My research has focused on studies in the field of behavioral neurobiology. In collaboration with professor emeritus Bengt J. Meyerson (1933–2015), new methodology for behavioral profiling was developed. By giving the animals a choice between different environments in a more complex environment, you can study general activity, risk assessment, risk taking, and shelter seeking in one trial; a behavioral profile of the animal is generated. In recent years, the behavioral test has been developed and adapted for additional animal species. We have then been able to show that several neurotransmitters play a role in the individual differences in behavioral profiles that we observe.

A common theme in my research has been studies of extremes in behavior, subgroups characterized by high risk-taking or strong shelter-seeking behavior. In ongoing studies, we try to find the mechanisms that give rise to risky choices in a subpopulation of animals rather than safe or optimal choices as seen in the majority of animals. By studying both sexes, similarities and differences in behavior between males and females can be observed. My group has also focused on animals of different age and how behaviors develop over time. For example, we could recently demonstrate that the risk assessment ability is poorly developed in adolescent animals compared to adult individuals. Part of my research is also devoted to the refinement (one of the 3Rs) of test methodology and environment to generate more reliable research results and at the same time contribute to improved animal welfare.

At SLU, I have been welcomed into new exciting collaborations.

In collaboration with Anna Jansson, AFB, behavioral studies are carried out on house crickets (Acheta domesticus), which may constitute a future protein source for animal feed and human consumption. Knowledge about the behavioral repertoire and the influence of breeding factors including handling, feeding, cleaning routines and holding density on behavior is required in order to ensure sustainable production of house crickets, characterized by good animal welfare.

In collaboration with Anna Bergh, KV, SLU and Jan Eriksson, Uppsala University, we study how physical activity is linked to physical and mental health in dog owners and their dogs, and whether increased physical activity in dogs and their owner can have a positive impact on physical and mental health.

In collaboration with Eva Sandberg, AFB it is evaluated whether topical local anesthetics are useful for reducing pain and discomfort in connection with needle sticks on animals and whether there are differences between different animal species.

External funding (last 10 years)

The Åke Wiberg Foundation, Experimental behavioural models for studies of appetitive and consummatory mechanisms underlying drug abuse and addiction, PI: Erika Roman, 2010, 100 kSEK.

The Magnus Bergvall Foundation, Animal experimental models for studies of appetitive and consummatory mechanisms underlying drug abuse and addiction, PI: Erika Roman, 2010, 50 kSEK.

The Facias Foundation, In vivo models for studies of appetitive and consummatory mechanisms related to brain reward networks, PI: Erika Roman, 2007-2013, in total 275 kSEK.

The Swedish Alcohol Research Council of the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly (SRA), Ethoexperimental behavioural models for studies of appetitive and consummatory mechanisms underlying alcohol abuse and addiction, PI: Erika Roman, 2009-2011, in total 220 kSEK.

The Magnus Bergvall Foundation, Associations between risk-taking behavior, alcohol intake and the brain endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems, PI: Erika Roman, 2012, 60 kSEK.

The Åke Wiberg Foundation, Behavioral studies of individual differences underlying risk-taking behavior, voluntary alcohol intake and neurobiology, PI: Erika Roman, 2012-2013, in total 250 kSEK.

The European Foundation for Alcohol Research (ERAB), Neurobiological and behavioural consequences of adolescent alcohol consumption; Studies of causal links between early-life conditions and vulnerability for alcohol use disorders, PI: Ingrid Nylander (medsökande: Erika Roman), 2012-2013, 100 000 €.

Young Scientist Strategic Faculty Funding, Uppsala University, 2014-2015, in total 1 000 kSEK.

The Swedish Alcohol Research Council of the Swedish Alcohol Retailing Monopoly (SRA), Individual differences in risk-taking behavior, alcohol intake and neurobiology,PI: Erika Roman, 2012-2016, in total 750 kSEK.

The Facias Foundation, Development of a multivariate test for behavioral profiling of zebrafish, PI: Erika Roman (medsökande: Svante Winberg), 2015-2016, 135 kSEK.

Svenska Spel Research Council, Experimental studies of gambling disorder, PI: Erika Roman (medsökande: Sarah Holst, Kent W Nilsson), 2014-2016, in total 781 kSEK.

The Gahlins Foundation, Development and validation of a multivariate test for behavioral profiling of rodents and zebrafish – the multivariate concentric square field™ test, PI: Erika Roman (medsökande: Svante Winberg), 2016-2017, 70 kSEK.

The Swedish Brain Foundation/Stiftelsen Hjärnfonden, Experimental studies of gambling disorder, PI: Erika Roman (medsökande: Sarah Holst, Kent W Nilsson), 2016-2017, 500 kSEK.

The Swedish Research Council (VR) MH-3R, Optimizing zebrafish welfare, PI: Svante Winberg (medsökande: Erika Roman), 2018-2021, 2160 kSEK.

Svenska Spel Research Council, Are there unique mechanisms in gambling disorder?, PI: Erika Roman (medsökande: Sarah Holst), 2018-2021, 1600 kSEK.

SLU Framtidens djur, natur och hälsa, Stimulansmedel, Sådan herre – sådan hund, PI: Erika Roman (medsökande: Anna Bergh), 2020, 50 kSEK.

One of the initiators of the research infrastructure UUBF, Uppsala University Behavioral Facility. https://www.uu.se/en/research/research-platforms/uubf/

Member of the National Committee for the Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes, that serves as steering board for the Swedish 3R center in the work to promote the practice of the 3Rs (replace, reduce and refine).

Collaborations

SLU

Anna Jansson, Eva Sandberg, AFB

Anna Bergh, KV

Uppsala University

Svante Winberg, Kent W Nilsson, Dept. Neuroscience

Per Andrén, Åsa Konradsson-Geuken, Robert Fredriksson, Ingrid Nylander, Dept. Pharmaceutical Biosciences

Jan Eriksson, Dept. Medical Sciences

Karolinska Institutet

Sarah Holst, Mia Lindskog

International

Giancarlo Colombo, CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Monserrato, Italy

Petri Hyytiä, University of Helsinki, Finland

Richard L Bell, Tiebing Liang, Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, USA

Main supervisor at Uppsala University:

Shima Momeni, Pharm Lic 2014, PhD 2015, “Individual differences in behavior, neurochemistry and pharmacology associated with voluntary alcohol intake”

Stina Lundberg, Pharm Lic 2017, PhD 2020, “Adolescent behavior – links to early-life stressand alcohol in male and female rats”

Nikita Tjernström, PhD 2022, ”Experimental studies of gambling strategies”

Deputy supervisor at Uppsala University:

Lisa Gustafsson, PhD 2007, “Endogenous opioids and voluntary ethanol drinking. Consequences of postnatal environmental influences in rats”

Oskar Karlsson, PhD 2011, “Distribution and long-term effects of the environmental neurotoxin beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). Brain changes and behavioral impairments following developmental exposure”

Loudin Daoura, PhD 2013, “Early environment and adolescent ethanol consumption. Effects on endogenous opioid and behaviour in rats”

Linnéa Granholm, Pharm Lic 2015, PhD 2018, “Stress, drugs and neuroscience”

Frida Lindberg, PhD 2022, “Identification and characterization of novel transporters in the central nervous system”

Joep Titulaer, PhD 2024, “Novel treatment options for schizophrenia”

Oly Sen Sarma, PhD 2024, “Optimizing zebrafish welfare”

External mentor:

Salvatore Magara, Karolinska Institutet, PhD 2015, ”Modelling depression in animals and the potential antidepressant effect of histaminergic modulation”

1.     Ploj K, Roman E, Gustavsson L, Nylander I. Basal levels and alcohol-induced changes in nociceptin/orphanin FQ, dynorphin and enkephalin levels in C57BL/6J mice. Brain Research Bulletin (2000), 53, 219-226.

2.     Ploj K, Roman E, Bergström L, Nylander I. Effects of neonatal handling on nociceptin/orphanin FQ and opioid peptide levels in female rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior (2001), 69, 173-179.

3.     Ploj K, Roman E, Kask A, Hyytiä P, Schiöth HB, Wikberg JES, Nylander I. Effects of melanocortin receptor ligands on ethanol intake and opioid peptide levels in alcohol-preferring AA rats. Brain Research Bulletin (2002), 59, 97-104.

4.     Ploj K, Roman E, Nylander I. Effects of maternal separation on brain nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide levels in male Wistar rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior (2002), 73, 123-129.

5.     Roman E, Hyytiä P, Nylander I. Maternal separation alters acquisition of ethanol intake in male ethanol-preferring AA rats. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (2003), 27, 31-37.

6.     Ploj K, Roman E, Nylander I. Long-term effects of short and long periods of maternal separation on brain opioid peptide levels in male Wistar rats. Neuropeptides (2003), 37, 149-156.

7.     Ploj K, Roman E, Nylander I. Long-term effects of maternal separation on ethanol intake and brain opioid and dopamine receptors in male Wistar rats. Neuroscience (2003), 121, 787-799.

8.     Marmendal M, Roman E, Eriksson CJP, Nylander I, Fahlke C. Maternal separation alters maternal care but has minor effects on behavior and brain opioid peptides in adult offspring. Developmental Psychobiology (2004), 45, 140-152.

9.     Roman E, Ploj K, Nylander I. Maternal separation has no effect on voluntary ethanol intake in female Wistar rats. Alcohol (2004), 33, 31-39.

10.  Roman E, Gustafsson L, Hyytiä P, Nylander I. Short and prolonged periods of maternal separation and voluntary ethanol intake in male and female ethanol-preferring AA and ethanol-avoiding ANA rats. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (2005), 29, 591-601.

11.  Roman E, Nylander I. The impact of emotional stress early in life on adult voluntary ethanol intake – results of maternal separation in rats. Stress (2005), 8, 157-174. REVIEW

12.  Roman E, Ploj K, Gustafsson L, Meyerson BJ, Nylander I. Variations in opioid peptide levels during the estrous cycle in Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuropeptides (2006), 40, 195-206.

13.  Roman E, Gustafsson L, Berg M, Nylander I. Behavioral profiles and stress-induced corticosteroid secretion in male Wistar rats subjected to short and prolonged periods of maternal separation. Hormones and Behavior (2006), 50, 736-747.

14.  Meyerson BJ, Augustsson H, Berg M, Roman E. The Concentric Square Field: a multivariate test arena for analysis of explorative strategies. Behavioural Brain Research (2006), 168, 100-113.

15.  Roman E, Meyerson BJ, Hyytiä P, Nylander I. The multivariate concentric square field test reveals different behavioural profiles in male AA and ANA rats with regard to risk taking and environmental reactivity. Behavioural Brain Research (2007), 183, 195-205.

16.  Sundberg B, Wååg E, Jacobsson JA, Stephansson O, Rumaks J, Svirskis S, Alsiö J, Roman E, Ebendal T, Klusa V, Fredriksson R. The evolutionary history and tissue mapping of amino acid transporters belonging to solute carrier families SLC32, SLC36 and SLC38. Journal of Molecular Neuroscience (2008), 35, 179-193.

17.  Haitina T, Olsson F, Stephansson O, Alsiö J, Roman E, Ebendal T, Schiöth HB, Fredriksson R. Expression profile of the entire family of Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors in mouse and rat. BMC Neuroscience (2008), 9, 43.

18.  Alsiö J, Roman E, Olszewski PK, Jonsson P, Fredriksson R, Levine AS, Meyerson BJ, Hulting AL, Lindblom J, Schiöth HB. Inverse association of high-fat diet preference and anxiety-like behavior: a putative role for urocortin 2. Genes, Brain and Behavior (2009), 8, 193-202.

19.  Wallén-Mackenzie Å, Nordenankar K, Fejgin K, Lagerström MC, Emilsson L, Fredriksson R, Wass C, Andersson D, Egecioglu E, Andersson M, Strandberg J, Lindhe Ö, Schiöth HB, Chergui K, Hanse E, Långström B, Fredriksson A, Svensson L, Roman E, Kullander K. Restricted cortical and amygdaloid removal of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 in preadolescent mice impacts dopaminergic activity and neuronal circuitry of higher brain function. Journal of Neuroscience (2009), 29, 2238-2251.

20.  Alsiö J, Pickering C, Roman E, Hulting AL, Lindblom J, Schiöth HB. Motivation for sucrose in sated rats is predicted by low anxiety-like behavior. Neuroscience Letters (2009), 454, 193-197.

21.  Karlsson O, Lindquist NG, Brittebo EB, Roman E. Selective brain uptake and behavioral effects of the cyanobacterial toxin BMAA (b-N-methylamino-L-alanine) following neonatal administration to rodents. Toxicological Sciences (2009), 109, 286-295.

22.  Roman E, Arborelius L. Male but not female Wistar rats show increased anxiety-like behaviour in response to bright light in the Defensive Withdrawal Test. Behavioural Brain Research (2009), 202, 303-307.

23.  Karlsson O, Roman E, Brittebo EB. Long-term cognitive impairments in adult rats treated neonatally with β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). Toxicological Sciences (2009), 112, 185-195.

24.  Roman E, Colombo G. Lower risk taking and exploratory behavior in alcohol-preferring sP rats than in alcohol non-preferring sNP rats in the multivariate concentric square field™ (MCSF) test. Behavioural Brain Research (2009), 205, 249-258.

25.  Daoura L, Hjalmarsson M, Oreland S, Nylander I, Roman E. Postpartum behavioral profiles in Wistar rats following maternal separation – altered exploration and risk-assessment behavior in MS15 dams. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2010), 4, 37.

26.  Palm S, Roman E*, Nylander I*. Differences in voluntary ethanol consumption in Wistar rats from five different suppliers. Alcohol (2011), 45, 607-614. *shared senior authorship.

27.  Berglund K, Roman E, Balldin J, Berggren U, Eriksson M, Gustavsson P, Fahlke C. Do men with excessive alcohol consumption and social stability have an addictive personality? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology (2011), 52, 257-260.

28.  Karlsson O, Roman E, Berg AL, Brittebo E. Early hippocampal cell death, and late learning and memory deficits in rats exposed to the environmental toxin BMAA (b-N-methylamino-L-alanine) during the neonatal period. Behavioural Brain Research (2011), 219, 310-320.

29.  Palm S, Hävermark Å, Meyerson BJ, Nylander I*, Roman E*. When is a Wistar a Wistar? Behavioral profiling of outbred Wistar rats from five different suppliers using the MCSF test. Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2011), 135, 128-137. *shared senior authorship.

30.  Roman E, Stewart RB, Bertholomey ML, Jensen, ML, Colombo G, Hyytiä P Badia-Elder N, Grahame NJ, Li TK, Lumeng L. Behavioral profiling of multiple pairs of rats selectively bred for high and low alcohol intake using the MCSF test. Addiction Biology (2012), 1, 33-46.

31.  Palm S, Roman E, Nylander I. Differences in basal and ethanol-induced levels of opioid peptides in Wistar rats from five different suppliers. Peptides (2012), 36, 1-8.

32.  Karlsson O, Berg AL, Lindström AK, Arnerup G, Roman E, Bergquist J, Hanrieder J, Lindquist NG, Brittebo E, Anderson M. Neonatal exposure to the cyanobacterial toxin BMAA induces changes in protein expression, and neurodegeneration in adult hippocampus. Toxicological Sciences (2012), 130, 391-404.

33.  Nylander I, Roman E. Neuropeptides as mediators of the early-life impact on the brain; implications for alcohol use disorders. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience (2012), 5, 77. REVIEW

34.  Karlsson O, Kultima K, Wadensten H, Nilsson A, Roman E, Andrén PE, Brittebo EB. Neurotoxin-induced neuropeptide perturbations in striatum of neonatal rats. Journal of Proteome Research (2013), 12, 1678–1690.

35.  Roman E, Karlsson O. Increased anxiety-like behavior but no cognitive impairments in adult rats exposed to constant light conditions during perinatal development. Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences (2013), 118, 222-227.

36.  Nylander I, Roman E. Is the rodent maternal separation model a valid and effective model for studies on the early-life impact on ethanol consumption? Psychopharmacology (2013), 229, 555-569. REVIEW

37.  Meyerson BJ, Jurek B, Roman E. A rank-order procedure applied to an ethoexperimental behavior model – the multivariate concentric square field™ (MCSF) test. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science (2013), 3, 350-361.

38.  Palm S, Daoura L, Roman E, Nylander I. Effects of rearing conditions on behaviour and endogenous opioids in rats with alcohol access during adolescence. PLOS ONE, (2013), 8, e76591.

39.  Daoura L, Nylander I, Roman E. Qualitative differences in pup-retrieval strategies in a maternal separation paradigm. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science (2013), 3, 603-616.

40.  Momeni S, Sharif M, Ågren G, Roman E. Individual differences in risk-related behaviors and voluntary alcohol intake in outbred Wistar rats. Behavioural Pharmacology (2014), 25, 206-215.

41.  Palm S*, Momeni S*, Lundberg S, Nylander I, Roman E. Risk-assessment and risk-taking behavior predict potassium- and amphetamine-induced dopamine response in the dorsal striatum of rats. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2014), 8, 236. *shared first authorship.

42.  Momeni S, Roman E. Subgroup-dependent effects of voluntary alcohol intake on behavioral profiles in outbred Wistar rats. Behavioural Brain Research (2014), 275, 288-296.

43.  Granholm L*, Roman E*, Nylander I. Single housing during early adolescence causes time-, area- and peptide-specific alterations in endogenous opioids. British Journal of Pharmacology (2015), 172, 606-614. *shared first authorship.

44.  Karlsson O, Colombo G, Roman E. Low copulatory activity in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) relative to alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences (2015), 120, 181-189.

45.  Magara S, Holst S, Lundberg S, Roman E, Lindskog M. Altered explorative strategies and reactive coping style in the FSL rat model of depression. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, (2015), 9, 89.

46.  Momeni S, Segerström L, Roman E. Supplier-dependent differences in intermittent voluntary alcohol intake and response to naltrexone in Wistar rats. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2015), 9, 424.

47.  Karlsson O, Roman E. Dose-dependent effects of alcohol administration on behavioural profiles in the MCSF test. Alcohol (2016), 50, 51-56.

48.  Segerström L, Roman E. Response: Commentary: Supplier-dependent differences in intermittent voluntary alcohol intake and response to naltrexone in Wistar rats. Frontiers in Neuroscience (2016), 10, 442.

49.  Roman E, Tjernström N, Winberg S. Description of a multivariate behavioral test arena for zebrafish – the zebrafish multivariate concentric square field test, in: Proceedings of Measuring Behavior 2016. (eds.) A. Spink, G. Riedel, L. Zhou, L. Teekens, R. Albatal & C. Gurrin, (2016), 4-6.

50.  Lundberg S, Martinsson M, Nylander I, Roman E. Altered corticosterone levels and social play behavior after prolonged maternal separation in adolescent male but not female Wistar rats. Hormones and Behavior (2017), 87, 137-144.

51.  Wood CM, Nicolas CS, Choi SL, Roman E, Nylander I, Fernandez-Teruel A, Kiianmaa K, Bienkowski P, de Jong TR, Colombo C, Chastagnier D, Wafford KA, Collingridge GL, Wildt SJ, Conway-Campbell BL, Robinson ESJ, Lodge D. Prevalence and influence of cys407* Grm2 mutation in Hannover-derived Wistar rats: mGlu2 receptor loss links to alcohol intake, risk taking and emotional behavior. Available online 14 March 2016, Neuropharmacology (2017), 115, 128-138. REVIEW

52.  Lundberg S, Abelson K, Nylander I, Roman E. Few long-term consequences after prolonged maternal separation in female Wistar rats. PLoS ONE, 12, e0190042.

53.  Roman E, Brunberg R, Mustafa A, Thörnqvist PO, Winberg S. Behavioral profiling using a modified version of the zebrafish multivariate concentric square field™ (zMCSF) test, in: Measuring Behavior 2018. (eds.) Grant R, Allen T, Spink A, Sullivan M, 27-29.

54.  Lundberg S, Le H, Roman E. Left alone – Effects of acute and prolonged social isolation on the behavioral profile in adult male and female Wistar rats, in: Measuring Behavior 2018. (eds.) Grant R, Allen T, Spink A, Sullivan M, 288-289.

55.  Tjernström N, Roman E. Characterization of behavior and voluntary alcohol intake in Wistar and Lister Hooded rats, in: Measuring Behavior 2018. (eds.) Grant R, Allen T, Spink A, Sullivan M, 437-442.

56.  Thörnqvist PO, McCarrick S, Eriksson M, Roman E#, Winberg S#. Bold zebrafish (Danio rerio) express higher levels of delta opioid and dopamine D2 receptors in the brain compared to shy fish. Behavioural Brain Research (2019), 359, 927-934. #Shared senior authorship.

57.  Lundberg S, Högman C, Roman E. Adolescent exploratory strategies and behavioral types in the multivariate concentric square field™ test. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2019), 13, 41.

58.  Mustafa A, Thörnqvist PO, Roman E, Winberg S. The aggressive spiegeldanio, carrying a mutation in the fgfr1 gene, has no advantage in dyadic fights with wild-type zebrafish of the AB strain. Behavioural Brain Research (2019), 370, 111942.

59.  Mustafa A, Roman E #, Winberg S#. Boldness in male and female zebrafish (Danio rerio) is dependent on strain and test. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2019), 13, 248. #shared senior authorship.

60.  Bikovski L, Robinson L, Konradsson-Geuken A, Kullander K, Viereckel T, Winberg S, Roman E, Tsoory M. Lessons, insights and newly developed tools emerging from behavioral phenotyping core facilities. Journal of Neuroscience Methods (2020), 334, 108597. INVITED REVIEW

61.  Scott H#, Tjernström N#, Roman E. Effects of pair-housing on voluntary alcohol intake in male and female Wistar rats. Alcohol (2020), accepted for publication. #Shared first authorship.

62.  Lundberg S, Nylander I, Roman E. Behavioral profiling in early adolescence and early adulthood of male Wistar rats after short and prolonged maternal separation. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience (2020), accepted for publication.

Web of Science ResearcherID: AAG-3089-2020

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5418-8289

Google Scholar

https://scholar.google.se/citations?hl=en&user=qVedemgAAAAJ

Loop profile: 9660

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