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Peggy Mason

TitleProfessor
InstitutionUniversity of Chicago
DepartmentNeurobiology
AddressChicago IL 60637
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    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview
    After a 25-year focus on the cellular mechanisms of pain modulation (how does morphine work? and related questions), my laboratory’s energy is now focused on the biological basis of empathy and helping. Important questions include:

    Do rats help another in distress? Yes
    Who do they help? Strangers and familiars alike, as long as they know the type (strain) of rat
    What motivates rats to help another in distress? This is a work in progress but right now, it looks as though the motivation is a rodent version of empathy
    What are the brain circuits that support affective communication between two individuals? We are using a variety of methods to go into the brain and understand the circuits underlying pro-social behavior

    In addition to leading a research laboratory, I am committed to teaching neurobiology to anyone that will listen. As the first “neuroevangelist,” I tweet as @NeuroMOOC and blog at http://thebrainissocool.com. I am also thrilled to be able to teach neurobiology to the interested public through a massively open online course (MOOC) on Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/course/neurobio). My initial session of Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life was offered in 2014 and attracted more than 55,000 students; a second session will be starting up in early 2015. I welcome all to come join in the neuro-fun!


    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
    List All   |   Timeline
    1. Mason P, Shan H. A valence-free definition of sociality as any violation of inter-individual independence. Proc Biol Sci. 2017 Nov 15; 284(1866). PMID: 29118128.
      View in: PubMed
    2. Umana IC, Daniele CA, Miller BA, Abburi C, Gallagher K, Brown MA, Mason P, McGehee DS. Nicotinic modulation of descending pain control circuitry. Pain. 2017 Oct; 158(10):1938-1950. PMID: 28817416.
      View in: PubMed
    3. Ben-Ami Bartal I, Shan H, Molasky NM, Murray TM, Williams JZ, Decety J, Mason P. Anxiolytic Treatment Impairs Helping Behavior in Rats. Front Psychol. 2016; 7:850. PMID: 27375528.
      View in: PubMed
    4. Mason P. With a little help from our friends: how the brain processes empathy. Cerebrum. 2014 Sep-Oct; 2014:14. PMID: 26034521.
      View in: PubMed
    5. Ben-Ami Bartal I, Rodgers DA, Bernardez Sarria MS, Decety J, Mason P. Pro-social behavior in rats is modulated by social experience. Elife. 2014; 3:e01385. PMID: 24424411.
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    6. Wang Q, Fong R, Mason P, Fox AP, Xie Z. Caffeine accelerates recovery from general anesthesia. J Neurophysiol. 2014 Mar; 111(6):1331-40. PMID: 24375022.
      View in: PubMed
    7. Hellman KM, Mason P. Opioids disrupt pro-nociceptive modulation mediated by raphe magnus. J Neurosci. 2012 Oct 03; 32(40):13668-78. PMID: 23035079.
      View in: PubMed
    8. Mason P. Two negatives make a positive: telencephalic-mediated analgesia. Exp Neurol. 2012 Aug; 236(2):336-8. PMID: 22580343.
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    9. Mason P. Medullary circuits for nociceptive modulation. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2012 Aug; 22(4):640-5. PMID: 22483535.
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    10. Ben-Ami Bartal I, Decety J, Mason P. Empathy and pro-social behavior in rats. Science. 2011 Dec 09; 334(6061):1427-30. PMID: 22158823.
      View in: PubMed
    11. Foo H, Mason P. Ingestion analgesia occurs when a bad taste turns good. Behav Neurosci. 2011 Dec; 125(6):956-61. PMID: 21928874.
      View in: PubMed
    12. Mason P. From descending pain modulation to obesity via the medullary raphe. Pain. 2011 Mar; 152(3 Suppl):S20-4. PMID: 21087824.
      View in: PubMed
    13. Foo H, Crabtree K, Mason P. The modulatory effects of rostral ventromedial medulla on air-puff evoked microarousals in rats. Behav Brain Res. 2010 Dec 20; 215(1):156-9. PMID: 20621127.
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    14. Mason P, Bartal BA. How the social brain experiences empathy: Summary of a gathering. Soc Neurosci. 2010; 5(2):252-6. PMID: 20131156.
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    15. Foo H, Mason P. Analgesia accompanying food consumption requires ingestion of hedonic foods. J Neurosci. 2009 Oct 14; 29(41):13053-62. PMID: 19828818.
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    16. Hellman KM, Mendelson SJ, Mendez-Duarte MA, Russell JL, Mason P. Opioid microinjection into raphe magnus modulates cardiorespiratory function in mice and rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2009 Nov; 297(5):R1400-8. PMID: 19710394.
      View in: PubMed
    17. Mason P, Foo H. Food consumption inhibits pain-related behaviors. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Jul; 1170:399-402. PMID: 19686166.
      View in: PubMed
    18. Foo H, Crabtree K, Thrasher A, Mason P. Eating is a protected behavior even in the face of persistent pain in male rats. Physiol Behav. 2009 Jun 22; 97(3-4):426-9. PMID: 19321150.
      View in: PubMed
    19. Frazier CR, Mason P, Zhuang X, Beeler JA. Sucrose exposure in early life alters adult motivation and weight gain. PLoS One. 2008 Sep 17; 3(9):e3221. PMID: 18797507.
      View in: PubMed
    20. Hellman KM, Brink TS, Mason P. Activity of murine raphe magnus cells predicts tachypnea and on-going nociceptive responsiveness. J Neurophysiol. 2007 Dec; 98(6):3121-33. PMID: 17913977.
      View in: PubMed
    21. Mason P, Gao K, Genzen JR. Serotonergic raphe magnus cell discharge reflects ongoing autonomic and respiratory activities. J Neurophysiol. 2007 Oct; 98(4):1919-27. PMID: 17715191.
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    22. Mason P. Placing pain on the sensory map: classic papers by Ed Perl and colleagues. J Neurophysiol. 2007 Mar; 97(3):1871-3. PMID: 17353552.
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    23. Brink TS, Hellman KM, Lambert AM, Mason P. Raphe magnus neurons help protect reactions to visceral pain from interruption by cutaneous pain. J Neurophysiol. 2006 Dec; 96(6):3423-32. PMID: 16928792.
      View in: PubMed
    24. Nason MW, Mason P. Medullary raphe neurons facilitate brown adipose tissue activation. J Neurosci. 2006 Jan 25; 26(4):1190-8. PMID: 16436606.
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    25. Mason P. Chapter 15 Descending pain modulation as a component of homeostasis. Handb Clin Neurol. 2006; 81:211-8. PMID: 18808837.
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    26. Mason P. Ventromedial medulla: pain modulation and beyond. J Comp Neurol. 2005 Dec 05; 493(1):2-8. PMID: 16255004.
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    27. Foo H, Mason P. Sensory suppression during feeding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Nov 15; 102(46):16865-9. PMID: 16275919.
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    28. Mason P. Deconstructing endogenous pain modulations. J Neurophysiol. 2005 Sep; 94(3):1659-63. PMID: 16105951.
      View in: PubMed
    29. Baez MA, Brink TS, Mason P. Roles for pain modulatory cells during micturition and continence. J Neurosci. 2005 Jan 12; 25(2):384-94. PMID: 15647481.
      View in: PubMed
    30. Foo H, Mason P. Movement-related discharge of ventromedial medullary neurons. J Neurophysiol. 2005 Feb; 93(2):873-83. PMID: 15385592.
      View in: PubMed
    31. Brink TS, Mason P. Role for raphe magnus neuronal responses in the behavioral reactions to colorectal distension. J Neurophysiol. 2004 Oct; 92(4):2302-11. PMID: 15175367.
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    32. Nason MW, Mason P. Modulation of sympathetic and somatomotor function by the ventromedial medulla. J Neurophysiol. 2004 Jul; 92(1):510-22. PMID: 14973310.
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    33. Foo H, Mason P. Brainstem modulation of pain during sleep and waking. Sleep Med Rev. 2003 Apr; 7(2):145-54. PMID: 12628215.
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    34. Foo H, Mason P. Discharge of raphe magnus ON and OFF cells is predictive of the motor facilitation evoked by repeated laser stimulation. J Neurosci. 2003 Mar 01; 23(5):1933-40. PMID: 12629198.
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    35. Brink TS, Mason P. Raphe magnus neurons respond to noxious colorectal distension. J Neurophysiol. 2003 May; 89(5):2506-15. PMID: 12612047.
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    36. Gao K, Mason P. Physiological and anatomic evidence for functional subclasses of serotonergic raphe magnus cells. J Comp Neurol. 2001 Oct 29; 439(4):426-39. PMID: 11596064.
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    37. Gao K, Mason P. The discharge of a subset of serotonergic raphe magnus cells is influenced by baroreceptor input. Brain Res. 2001 May 11; 900(2):306-13. PMID: 11334811.
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    38. Mason P, Escobedo I, Burgin C, Bergan J, Lee JH, Last EJ, Holub AL. Nociceptive responsiveness during slow-wave sleep and waking in the rat. Sleep. 2001 Feb 01; 24(1):32-8. PMID: 11204051.
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    39. Mason P. Contributions of the medullary raphe and ventromedial reticular region to pain modulation and other homeostatic functions. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2001; 24:737-77. PMID: 11520917.
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    40. Gao K, Mason P. Serotonergic Raphe magnus cells that respond to noxious tail heat are not ON or OFF cells. J Neurophysiol. 2000 Oct; 84(4):1719-25. PMID: 11024064.
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    41. Mason P. Central mechanisms of pain modulation. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 1999 Aug; 9(4):436-41. PMID: 10448161.
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    42. Leung CG, Mason P. Physiological properties of raphe magnus neurons during sleep and waking. J Neurophysiol. 1999 Feb; 81(2):584-95. PMID: 10036262.
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    43. Leung CG, Mason P. Physiological survey of medullary raphe and magnocellular reticular neurons in the anesthetized rat. J Neurophysiol. 1998 Oct; 80(4):1630-46. PMID: 9772227.
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    44. Gao K, Chen DO, Genzen JR, Mason P. Activation of serotonergic neurons in the raphe magnus is not necessary for morphine analgesia. J Neurosci. 1998 Mar 01; 18(5):1860-8. PMID: 9465010.
      View in: PubMed
    45. Gao K, Mason P. Somatodendritic and axonal anatomy of intracellularly labeled serotonergic neurons in the rat medulla. J Comp Neurol. 1997 Dec 15; 389(2):309-28. PMID: 9416924.
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    46. Kusmirek J, Owens CA, Mason P. Lumbar but not cervical intrathecal DAMGO suppresses extrasegmental nociception in awake rats. Brain Res. 1997 Sep 05; 767(2):375-9. PMID: 9367272.
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    47. Gao K, Kim YH, Mason P. SEROTONERGIC pontomedullary neurons are not activated by antinociceptive stimulation in the periaqueductal gray. J Neurosci. 1997 May 01; 17(9):3285-92. PMID: 9096161.
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    48. Mason P. Physiological identification of pontomedullary serotonergic neurons in the rat. J Neurophysiol. 1997 Mar; 77(3):1087-98. PMID: 9084584.
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    49. Leung CG, Mason P. Spectral analysis of arterial blood pressure and raphe magnus neuronal activity in anesthetized rats. Am J Physiol. 1996 Aug; 271(2 Pt 2):R483-9. PMID: 8770152.
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    50. Mason P, Owens CA, Hammond DL. Antagonism of the antinocifensive action of halothane by intrathecal administration of GABAA receptor antagonists. Anesthesiology. 1996 May; 84(5):1205-14. PMID: 8624015.
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    51. Mason P, Leung CG. Physiological functions of pontomedullary raphe and medial reticular neurons. Prog Brain Res. 1996; 107:269-82. PMID: 8782525.
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    52. Leung CG, Mason P. Effects of isoflurane concentration on the activity of pontomedullary raphe and medial reticular neurons in the rat. Brain Res. 1995 Nov 13; 699(1):71-82. PMID: 8616615.
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    53. Mason P. Lipopolysaccharide induces fever and decreases tail flick latency in awake rats. Neurosci Lett. 1993 May 14; 154(1-2):134-6. PMID: 8361627.
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