Levi Sowers
Levi is a native Iowan who completed both of his undergraduate and PhD programs at University of Iowa. His laboratory studies the neurocircuitry underlying migraine and post-traumatic headache. More specifically, his preclinical laboratory focuses heavily on the sensory abnormalities associated with migraine and post-traumatic headache, including photophobia, spontaneous pain and touch hypersensitivity. The lab’s research uses functional MRI, optogenetic and DREADD approaches to better understand the circuits contributing to those sensory abnormalities. We recently identified the deep cerebellar nuclei as possible sensory integration centers underlying sensory abnormalities in migraine. We are a VA associated lab and part of the VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss with a special emphasis on Veteran related problems in headache. Post-traumatic headache is similar to migraine and affects about 50% of Veterans who saw combat in war zones. Our hope is to one day identify brain regions that can be manipulated in humans to treat headache. Our promotion of a multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach to tackle these important questions in headache medicine offers trainees room to grow and become wonderful independent scientists.
Current Positions
- Assistant Professor - Pediatrics
- Director of Veteran Engagement for the VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment for Visual Loss
Graduate Program Affiliations
Selected Publications
McCutcheon N, Johnson MS, Rea B, Ghumman M, Sowers L, Hultman R. An Automated Squint Method for Time-syncing Behavior and Brain Dynamics in Mouse Pain Studies. J Vis Exp. 2024 Nov 1;(213). doi: 10.3791/67136. PMID: 39555788.
Abbott PW, Hardie JB, Walsh KP, Nessler AJ, Farley SJ, Freeman JH, Wemmie JA, Wendt L, Kim YC, Sowers LP, Parker KL. Knockdown of the Non-canonical Wnt Gene Prickle2 Leads to Cerebellar Purkinje Cell Abnormalities While Cerebellar-Mediated Behaviors Remain Intact. Cerebellum. 2024 Jan 2. doi: 10.1007/s12311-023-01648-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38165577.
Hendrikse ER, Rees TA, Tasma Z, Garelja ML, Siow A, Harris PWR, Pawlak JB, Caron KM, Blakeney ES, Russo AF, Sowers LP, Lutz TA, Le Foll C, Walker CS, Hay DL. Characterization of Antibodies against Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 1 (RAMP1): A Cautionary Tale. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 16;23(24):16035. doi: 10.3390/ijms232416035. PMID: 36555690; PMCID: PMC9787598.
Wang M, Tutt JO, Dorricott NO, Parker KL, Russo AF, Sowers LP. Involvement of the cerebellum in migraine. Front Syst Neurosci. 2022 Oct 13;16:984406. doi: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.984406. PMID: 36313527; PMCID: PMC9608746.
Rea BJ, Davison A, Ketcha MJ, Smith KJ, Fairbanks AM, Wattiez AS, Poolman P, Kardon RH, Russo AF, Sowers LP. Automated detection of squint as a sensitive assay of sex-dependent calcitonin gene-related peptide and amylin-induced pain in mice. Pain. 2022 Aug 1;163(8):1511-1519. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002537. Epub 2021 Nov 10. PMID: 34772897; PMCID: PMC9085964.
Wang M, Castonguay WC, Duong TL, Huebner MW, Flinn HC, Greenway AM, Russo AF, Sowers LP. Stimulation of CGRP-expressing neurons in the medial cerebellar nucleus induces light and touch sensitivity in mice. Neurobiol Pain. 2022 Jun 23;12:100098. doi: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2022.100098. PMID: 35782531; PMCID: PMC9240374.
Wang M, Mason BN, Sowers LP, Kuburas A, Rea BJ, Russo AF. Investigating Migraine-Like Behavior Using Light Aversion in Mice. J Vis Exp. 2021 Aug 11;(174):10.3791/62839. doi: 10.3791/62839. PMID: 34459825; PMCID: PMC8428768.
Ghanizada H, Al-Karagholi MA, Walker CS, Arngrim N, Rees T, Petersen J, Siow A, Mørch-Rasmussen M, Tan S, O'Carroll SJ, Harris P, Skovgaard LT, Jørgensen NR, Brimble M, Waite JS, Rea BJ, Sowers LP, Russo AF, Hay DL, Ashina M. Amylin Analog Pramlintide Induces Migraine-like Attacks in Patients. Ann Neurol. 2021 Jun;89(6):1157-1171. doi: 10.1002/ana.26072. Epub 2021 Apr 8. PMID: 33772845; PMCID: PMC8486152.
Kuburas A, Mason BN, Hing B, Wattiez AS, Reis AS, Sowers LP, Moldovan Loomis C, Garcia-Martinez LF, Russo AF. PACAP Induces Light Aversion in Mice by an Inheritable Mechanism Independent of CGRP. J Neurosci. 2021 May 26;41(21):4697-4715. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2200-20.2021. Epub 2021 Apr 12. PMID: 33846231; PMCID: PMC8260237.
Wattiez AS, Castonguay WC, Gaul OJ, Waite JS, Schmidt CM, Reis AS, Rea BJ, Sowers LP, Cintrón-Pérez CJ, Vázquez-Rosa E, Pieper AA, Russo AF. Different forms of traumatic brain injuries cause different tactile hypersensitivity profiles. Pain. 2021 Apr 1;162(4):1163-1175. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002103. PMID: 33027220; PMCID: PMC8008742.
Sowers LP, Wang M, Rea BJ, Taugher RJ, Kuburas A, Kim Y, Wemmie JA, Walker CS, Hay DL, Russo AF. Stimulation of Posterior Thalamic Nuclei Induces Photophobic Behavior in Mice. Headache. 2020 Oct;60(9):1961-1981. doi: 10.1111/head.13917. Epub 2020 Aug 4. PMID: 32750230; PMCID: PMC7604789.
Wattiez AS, O'Shea SA, Ten Eyck P, Sowers LP, Recober A, Russo AF, Fattal D. Patients With Vestibular Migraine are More Likely to Have Occipital Headaches than those With Migraine Without Vestibular Symptoms. Headache. 2020 Sep;60(8):1581-1591. doi: 10.1111/head.13898. Epub 2020 Jul 25. PMID: 32712960; PMCID: PMC7771256.
Wattiez AS, Sowers LP, Russo AF. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP): role in migraine pathophysiology and therapeutic targeting. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2020 Feb;24(2):91-100. doi: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1724285. Epub 2020 Feb 13. PMID: 32003253; PMCID: PMC7050542.
