Charles O’Brien, Ph.D., is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He is a Research Scientist at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) He also serves as Director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research and Director of the Genetic Models CORE that serves UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI), and the CAVHS.

Dr. O’Brien received his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 1990 and performed his postdoctoral training in the Department of Cell Biology at Yale University. He joined the UAMS Division of Endocrinology in 1994.

Research Focus:
The focus of my research is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control bone remodeling. Alterations in bone remodeling underlie changes in the skeleton that lead to osteoporosis. As part of this effort, we generate novel genetically-modified mouse models using a variety of approaches, including transgenesis, gene-targeting, and gene-editing. We also perform numerous single cell RNA sequencing projects that utilize the services of the UAMS Genomics Core.

I have been continuously funded by the NIH as a principle investigator since 1998. My work has been highly impactful as evidenced by my h-index of 66 (GoogleScholar). I also serve as the director of a center funded by the NIH P20 COBRE mechanism. A major function of the center is to support the development of junior investigators. As director of the center, I helped design and oversee a mentoring program for junior faculty. This program includes development of an Individual Development Plan tailored to each investigator, regular mentoring meetings, as well as guidance and feedback during the development and writing of grant proposals.

Current Projects:
P20 GM125503 NIH/NIGMS O’Brien (PI) 04/01/2023 – 01/31/2028
Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (COBRE)
The goal of this Center is to establish a Center for Biomedical Excellence (COBRE) named the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (CMDR) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

R01 AG068449-01A1 NIH/NIA Almeida and O’Brien (MPI) 04/01/2021 – 12/31/2025
Different consequences of cellular aging in cortical versus cancellous bone
The goal of this project is to identify the molecular mechanisms that lead to bone loss with age in mice. The project focuses on the role of cellular senescence in the decline of osteoblast progenitors and increase in osteoclast formation.

R01 AR49794 NIH/NIAMS O’Brien (PI) 04/01/2022 – 03/31/2027
Osteocyte control of bone remodeling
The goal of this project is to identify the mechanisms responsible for the rapid bone loss that occurs after cessation of anti-RANKL therapy.