James Walton, PhD

Research Interests

Behavioral neuroscience
Behavioral neuroendocrinology
Biological rhythms

Stroke

Grants and Research

Currently Funded Projects

Alzheimer's Association: Circadian Rhythms in Sundowning and Alzheimer's Disease.

NIGMS: Sex Differences in Cognitive Recovery from Experimental Stroke. 

            A collaborative Team Science project with Drs. Shahrzad Latifi & Aminata Coulibaly.

Publications

Recent Publications

[2025]

Walton, JC, Meléndez-Fernández, OH, Chantler, PD, DeVries, AC, Nelson, RJ. Exposure to Artificial Light at Night Alters Ultradian Rhythms in Endothelial Function. Journal of Vascular Research. 

Geldenhuys, WJ, Wilson, GN, Hernandez, K, Monaghan, K, Smith, K, Cicala, DS, Poling, TJ, Walton, JC, Han, PC, Huber, JD. Loss of mitochondrial protein mitoNEET in mice is associated with cognitive impairments and increased neuroinflammation. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 103(2):429-440. 

[2024]

Walton JC, Walker WH 2nd, Nelson RJ, DeVries AC. Time of day bias for biological sampling in studies of mammary cancer. Scientific Reports. 14(1):848. 

Liu JA, Bumgarner JR, Walker WH 2nd, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Chronic phase advances reduces recognition memory and increases vascular cognitive dementia-like impairments in aged mice. Scientific Reports. 2;14(1):7760. 

Hosseini SN, Walton JC, SheikhAnsari I, Kreidler N, Nelson RJ. An architectural solution to a biological problem: a systematic review of lighting designs in healthcare environments. Applied Sciences. 14(7):2495. 

Liu JA, Walker WH 2nd, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Bumgarner JR, Zhang N, Walton JC, Meares GP, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Dim light at night shifts microglia to a pro-inflammatory state after cerebral ischemia, altering stroke outcome in mice. Experimental Neurology.  

[2023]

Walton JC, Nelson RJ. Therapeutic Aspects of Circadian Rhythms. Biomolecules. 13(8). 

Lahiri A, Walton JC, Zhang N, Billington N, DeVries AC, Meares GP. Astrocytic deletion of protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) does not affect learning and memory in aged mice but worsens outcome from experimental stroke. Journal of Neuroscience Research. 101(10):1586-1610.

Bumgarner JR, Walker WH 2nd, Quintana DD, White RC, Richmond AA, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Liu JA, Becker-Krail DD, Walton JC, Simpkins JW, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Acute exposure to artificial light at night alters hippocampal vascular structure in mice. iScience. 26(7):106996. 

Meléndez-Fernández OH, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. The role of daylight exposure on body mass in male mice. Physiology & Behavior. 266:114186.

[2022]

Walton JC, Bumgarner JR, Nelson RJ. Sex Differences in Circadian Rhythms. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. 14(7). 

Liu JA, Walton JC, Bumgarner JR, Walker WH 2nd, Meléndez-Fernández OH, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Chronic exposure to dim light at night disrupts cell-mediated immune response and decreases longevity in aged female mice. Chronobiology International. 39(12):1674-1683.

Nelson RJ, Bumgarner JR, Liu JA, Love JA, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Becker-Krail DD, Walker WH 2nd, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Prendergast BJ. Time of day as a critical variable in biology. BMC Biology. 20(1):142.

Taylor JH, Walton JC, McCann KE, Norvelle A, Liu Q, Vander Velden JW, Borland JM, Hart M, Jin C, Huhman KL, Cox DN, Albers HE. CRISPR-Cas9 editing of the arginine-vasopressin V1a receptor produces paradoxical changes in social behavior in Syrian hamsters. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.119(19):e2121037119. 

Walker WH 2nd, Kaper AL, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Bumgarner JR, Liu JA, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Time-restricted feeding alters the efficiency of mammary tumor growth. Chronobiology International. 239(4):535-546. 

[2021]

Walton JC, Walker WH 2nd, Bumgarner JR, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Liu JA, Hughes HL, Kaper AL, Nelson RJ. (2021) Circadian variation in efficacy of medications. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 109(6):1457-1488.

Walker WH 2nd, Kvadas RM, May LE, Liu JA, Bumgarner JR, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Dauchy RT, Blask DE, Nelson RJ. (2021) Artificial light at night reduces anxiety-like behavior in female mice with exacerbated mammary tumor growth. Cancers (Basel). 13(19).

Meléndez-Fernández OH, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. (2021) Clocks, rhythms, sex, and hearts: how disrupted circadian rhythms, time-of-day, and sex influence cardiovascular health. Biomolecules. 11(6).

Walker WH 2nd, Sprowls SA, Bumgarner JR, Liu JA, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Walton JC, Lockman PR, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. Circadian Influences on Chemotherapy Efficacy in a Mouse Model of Brain Metastases of Breast Cancer. Frontiers in Oncology. 11:752331. 

Liu JA, Walton JC, DeVries AC, Nelson RJ. (2021) Disruptions of circadian rhythms and thrombolytic therapy during ischemic stroke intervention. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 15:675732.

Walker WH 2nd, Walton JC, Nelson RJ. (2021) Disrupted circadian rhythms and mental health. Handbook of Clinical Neurology. 179:259-270.

[2020]

McNeill JK 4th, Walton JC, Ryu V, Albers HE. (2020) The excitatory effects of GABA within the suprachiasmatic nucleus: regulation of Na-K-2Cl cotransporters (NKCCs) by environmental lighting conditions. Journal of Biological Rhythms. 35(3):275-286. 

Walker WH 2nd, Bumgarner JR, Walton JC, Liu JA, Meléndez-Fernández OH, Nelson RJ, DeVries AC. (2021) Light pollution and cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 21(24).

Bumgarner, JR, Walker, WH 2nd, Liu, JA, Walton, JC, Nelson, RJ. (2020) Dim light at night exposure induces cold hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in male mice. Neuroscience. 10:434:111-119.

Walker, WH 2nd, Walton, JC, DeVries, AC, Nelson, RJ. (2020) Circadian rhythm disruption and mental health. Translational Psychiatry. 23;10(1). 

Borland, JM, Walton, JC, Norvelle, A, Grantham, KN, Aiani, LM, Larkin, TE, McCann, KE, Albers, HE. (2020). Social experience and sex-dependent regulation of aggression in the lateral septum by extrasynaptic δGABAA receptors. Psychopharmacology. 237(2):329-344.