Chris Schaich - Doctoral Candidate
Chris Schaich, BA
PhD Student (Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology Dept.)
Education: BA – Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (2006)
Laboratory Department: Hypertension and Vascular Research Center
Advisor: Dr. Debra Diz
Current Research: My research interests are in the neural regulation of blood pressure and heart rate in mammals. The aims of my dissertation project are to evaluate the role of the endocannabinoid system in autonomic blood pressure control in normotensive animals and in animals with an altered brain renin-angiotensin system profile. My focus is on the interaction of the renin-angiotensin and endocannabinoid systems in the context of arterial baroreflex sensitivity in normotensive, hypertensive, and hypotensive animals.
Published Abstracts
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz; Contribution of Endocannabinoids via CB1 Receptors to the Impaired Baroreflex Sensitivity in (mRen2)27 Hypertensive Rats. Hypertension 60:A117, 2012.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz; Dose-Related Biphasic Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by the CB1 Receptor in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Hypertension 58:e105, 2011.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz. Attenuation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by Cannabinoid Receptor Activation in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Hypertension 56:e106, 2010.
Oral Presentations
Chris L. Schaich; Contribution of Endocannabinoids to the Impaired Baroreflex Sensitivity in (mRen2)27 Hypertensive Rats. 2012 Carolina Cannabinoid Collaborative. Greenville, NC. October 20, 2012.
Chris L. Schaich; Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor in Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Seminar Series, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Winston-Salem, NC. December 12, 2011.
Chris L. Schaich; Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by Cannabinoid Receptor Activation in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology Seminar Series, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Winston-Salem, NC. February 7, 2011.
Conference Proceedings and Unpublished Abstracts
Chris L. Schaich, Manisha Nautiyal, Allyn C. Howlett, Mark C. Chappell, Debra I. Diz; Enhanced CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Tone Contributes to Impaired Baroreflex Sensitivity in Hypertensive (mRen2)27 Transgenic Rats. Western North Carolina Society for Neuroscience Research Day. Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC. December 6, 2012.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz; Contribution of Endocannabinoids via CB1 Receptors to the Impaired Baroreflex Sensitivity in Transgenic (mRen2)27 Hypertensive Rats. Charlotte Research Institute Life Sciences Conference. Charlotte, NC. October 25, 2012.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz; Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by the CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor in Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats. Twelfth Annual Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Research Day. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. March 29, 2012.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz; Differential Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by Solitary Tract Nucleus CB1 Cannabinoid Receptors in Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats. Nineteenth Annual Residents’ and Fellows’ Research Day. Division of Surgical Sciences, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. November 17, 2011.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz; Dose-Related Biphasic Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by the CB1 Receptor in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Presented at the 21st Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society. St. Charles, IL. July 5 – 10, 2011.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz. Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by Cannabinoid Receptor Activation in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Vasoactive Peptides VIII International Symposium. Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. April 28 – 30, 2011.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz. Modulation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by Cannabinoid Receptor Activation in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Eleventh Annual Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Research Day. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. March 22, 2011.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz. Attenuation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by Cannabinoid Receptor Activation in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Eighteenth Annual Residents’ and Fellows’ Research Day. Division of Surgical Sciences, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. November 11, 2010.
Chris L. Schaich, Allyn C. Howlett, Debra I. Diz. Attenuation of Baroreflex Sensitivity by Cannabinoid Receptor Activation in Rat Solitary Tract Nucleus. Presented at the 2010 Carolina Cannabinoid Collaborative. Bridgewater, VA. October 23, 2010.
C. Schaich, M. Dovlatyan, Y. Jiang, S. Miller, M. Packiarajan, S. Hong, G. Ma, C. Giuseppina-Mazza, M. Sabio, A. White. The Use of Ex Vivo Occupancy as the Primary Screen in the MCH1 Drug Discovery Project. Presented at Annual Project Review, H. Lundbeck A/S. Copenhagen, Denmark. September 22 – 24, 2008.
Chrobak J.J., Schaich C.L., Giuliana D.G. Intraseptal modulation of memory and proactive interference in a delayed-match-to-sample radial water maze task. Presented at Neuroscience 2006. Atlanta, GA. October 14 – 18, 2006.
Schaich C.L. The Effects of Oxotremorine-M on Medial Septum Circuits Regulating Memory. Presented at University of Connecticut Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Symposium. Storrs, CT. April 21 – 22, 2006.
C. Schaich, N. Ron, C. Hamelin. Episodic Memory in the Rat: A Delayed-Match-to-Sample Radial Water Maze Task. Presented at University of Connecticut Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Symposium. Storrs, CT. April 23 – 24, 2005.
Honors and Awards
Mary A. Bell Award, Systems Neuroscience. Western North Carolina Society for Neuroscience Research Day. Winston-Salem, NC. December 6, 2012.
Finalist, Graduate Student Poster Competition. Charlotte Research Institute Life Sciences Conference. Charlotte, NC. October 25, 2012.
Runner-Up Award, Integrative Sciences. Twelfth Annual Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Research Day. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. March 29, 2012.
Wake Forest University Alumni Travel Award (2011): To attend the 21st Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society conference, St. Charles, IL, July 5 - 10, 2011.
Wake Forest University Alumni Travel Award (2010): To attend the High Blood Pressure Research Council 2010 Scientific Sessions, Washington, DC, October 13 - 16, 2010.
Lundbeck 3R Award (2008): Recognizes contributions to the reduction, refinement, and replacement of wasteful resource and animal use
2006 New England Scholar
2005 New England Scholar
University of Connecticut Dean’s List: Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Fall 2004, Fall 2005, Spring 2006