James Dee Higley, Professor

Contact Information

Department: Psychology, Department of
Office: SWKT 1042
Office Hours: Thursday 3:00 or by appointment
Phone: 801-422-7139
Email: james_higley@byu.edu
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Research

My research interests are in primate behavior, development, and developmental psychopathology. My research focuses on alcoholism, impulsivity, and the effects of parents and genes on development and adolescent outcomes. To make these assessments, we measure brain neurotransmission and behavioral outcomes in monkeys reared in differential conditions.

Education

Bachelor of Science Psychology Brigham Young University 1980
Master of Science Child Development and Primate Behavior University of Wisconsin -- Madison 1983
Doctor of Philosophy Child Development and Primate Behavior University of Wisconsin -- Madison 1985

Professional Affiliations

Neuroscience 2

Publications

Barr, C.S., Dvoskin, R.L., Gupte, M., Sommer, W., Sun, H., Schwandt, M.L., Lindell, S.G., Kasckow, J.W., Suomi, S.J., Goldman, D., Higley, J.D., & Heilig, M. (2009). Functional CRH variation increases stress-induced alcohol consumption in primates.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA.
Newman, T.K., Parker, C.C., Suomi, S.J., Goldman, D., Barr, C.S., & Higley, J.D. (2009). DRD1 5'UTR variation, sex and early infant stress influence ethanol consumption in rhesus macaques.. Genes Brain and Behavior.
McCormack, K., Newman, T.K., Higley, J. D., Maestripieri, D., & Sanchez, M.M. (2009). Serotonin transporter gene variation, infant abuse, and responsiveness to stress in rhesus macaque mothers and infants.. Hormones and Behavior.
Spinelli, S., Chefer, S., Carson, R., Jacoda, E., Heilig, M., Suomi, S., Higley, J.D., & Stein, E. (2009). Female gender and early life stress reduce serotonin1A receptors density in juvenile non-human primates.. Archives of General Psychiatry.
Maestripieri, D., Hoffman, C.L., Anderson, G.M., Carter, S., & Higley, J.D. (2009). Mother-infant interactions in free-ranging rhesus macaques: Relationships between physiological and behavioral variables.. Physiology & Behavior.
Maestripieri, D., Hoffman, C.L., Anderson, G.M., Carter, S., & Higley, J.D. (2008). Mother-infant interactions in free-ranging rhesus macaques: Relationships between physiological and behavioral variables.. Physiology & Behavior.
Erickson, K., Higley, J.D., & Schulkin, J. (2008). Emotion, temperament, vulnerability, and development: Evidence from nonhuman primate models.. Developmental Psychophysiology: Theory, Systems, and Methods..
Higley, J.D., & Barr, C.S. (2008). Neurochemistry and behavior. Primate Models of Children's Health and Developmental Disabilities..
Higley, J.D., & Barr, C.S. (2008). Neurochemistry and behavior.. Nonhuman Primate Models in Research on Developmental Disabilities.
Howell, S., & Higley, J.D. (2008). The biological correlates of hand preference in rhesus macaques.. Selected Topics in Primatology: The Evolution of Hemispheric Specialization in Primates..
Schwandt, M.L., Higley, J.D., Suomi, S.J., Heilig, M., Barr, C.S. (2008). Rapid tolerance and locomotor sensitization in ethanol-naïve adolescent rhesus macaques.. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Barr, C.S., Schwandt, M.L., Lindell, S.G., Higley, J.D., Maestripieri, D., Goldman, D., Suomi, S.J., and Heilig, M. (2008). Variation at the Mu-Opioid Receptor Gene (OPRM1) Influences Attachment Behavior in Infant Primates.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Barr, C.S., Dvoskin, R.L., Yuan, Q., Lipsky, R.H., Gupte, M., Hu, X., Zhou, Z., Schwandt, M.L., Lindell, S.G., McKee, M., Becker, M.L., Kling, M.A., Gold, P.W., Higley, D., Heilig, M., Suomi, S.J., & Goldman, D. (2008). CRH haplotype as a factor influencing cerebrospinal fluid levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, temperament, and alcohol consumption in rhesus macaques.. Archives of General Psychiatry.
Howell, S., Westergaard, G., Hoos, B., Chavanne, T.J., Shoaf, S.E., Cleveland, A., Snoy, P.J., Suomi, S.J., & Higley, J.D. (2007). Serotonergic Influences on Life History Outcomes in Free-Ranging Male Primates.. American Journal of Primatology.
Barr, C.S., Schwandt, M., Lindell, S.G., Chen, S.A., Goldman, D., Suomi, S.J., Higley, J.D., & Heilig, M. (2007). Association of a functional polymorphism in the mu-opioid receptor gene with alcohol response and consumption in male rhesus macaques.. Archives of General Psychiatry.
Izquierdo, A., Newman, T.K., Higley, J.D., & Murray, E.A. (2007). Genetic modulation of cognitive flexibility and socioemotional behavior in rhesus monkeys.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA.
Spinelli, S., Schwandt, M.L., Lindell, S.G., Newman, T.K., Heilig, M., Suomi, S.J., Higley, J.D., Goldman, D., Barr, C.S. (2007). Association between the recombinant human serotonin transporter linked promoter region polymorphism and behavior in rhesus macaques during a separation paradigm.. Developmental Psychopathology.
Macr1, S., Spinelli, S., Adriani, W., Higley, J.D., & Laviola, G. (2007). Early adversity and alcohol availability persistently modify serotonin and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis metabolism and related behavior: what experimental research on rodents and primates can tell us.. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
Maestripieri, D., Lindell, S.G, Higley, J.D. (2007). Intergenerational transmission of maternal behavior in rhesus macaques and its underlying mechanisms.. Developmental Psychobiology.
Schwandt, M.L., Barr, C.S., Suomi, S.J., & Higley, J.D. (2007). Age-dependent variation in behavior following acute ethanol administration in male and female adolescent rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Flory, G.S., Chen, S.A., Woltz, L.A. Magleby, S., & Higley, J.D. (2006). A computerized apparatus designed to automatically dispense, measure, and record alcohol consumption by individual members of a rhesus macaque social group: Trait-like drinking across social- and single-cage conditions.. Methods.
Roma, P.G. Ruggiero, A.M., Schwandt, M.L., Higley, J.D., & Suomi, S.J. (2006). The kids are alright: Maternal behavioral interactions and stress reactivity in infants of differentially reared rhesus monkeys. The Journal of Developmental Processes.
Ichise, M., Vines, D.C., Gura, T., Anderson, G.M., Suomi, S.J., Higley, J.D., Innis, R.B. (2006). Effects of early life stress on [11C]DASB positron emission tomography imaging of serotonin transporters in adolescent peer- and mother-reared rhesus monkeys. Journal of Neuroscience.
Jaffe, B.; Evans, T.; Howell, S.; Westergaard, G., Snoy, P., Higley, J.D. (2006). Left vs. right nipple preference in free-ranging infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Developmental Psychobiology.
Roma, P.G., Wesley W. Flint, W.W., Higley, J.D., and Riley, A.L. (2006). Assessment of the Aversive and Rewarding Effects of Alcohol in Fischer and Lewis Rats. Psychopharmacology.
Maestripieri, D., Higley, J.D., Lindell,, S.G., Newman, T.K., McCormack, K.M., Sanchez, M.M. (2006). Early maternal rejection affects the development of monoaminergic systems and adult abusive parenting in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Behavioral Neuroscience.
Maestripieri, D., McCormack, K., Lindell, S.G., Higley, J.D., Sanchez, M.M. (2006). Influence of parenting style on the offspring's behaviour and CSF monoamine metabolite levels in crossfostered and noncrossfostered female rhesus macaques.. Behavior and Brain Research.
Lorenz, J.G., Long, J.C., Linnoila, M., Goldman, D., Suomi, S.J. & Higley, J.D. (2006). Genetic and other contributions to alcohol intake in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Alcoholism: Clinical And Experimental Research.

Awards

President's Award American Society of Primatology 2008
Promotion to Fellow American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2008