Charles A. O’Brien

Federal Grant PI High Impact

Professor of Medicine

UAMS primary University of Arkansas

Also affiliated: National University of Ireland (1914); Charles University (1995); University of Arkansas Medical Center (1995–2026); Royal Navy (1914); University of Oklahoma Medical Center (1992); Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (1989–1995); Yale University (1993–1994); Arkansas Cardiology (2023); Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (2001–2026); Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (1997–1998); Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (2024); Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (2002–2016); University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (1989–1990); Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (1995); University of Pennsylvania (2024); University of Oklahoma (1990–1995); The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (1989); KU Leuven (2016)

Faculty Researcher

Internal Med, College of Medicine

64 h-index 188 pubs 17,838 cited

Research Areas

Biomedical Subjects

Links

ORCID Google Scholar Lab Website UAMS TRI Profile

OverviewAI-generated summary

Charles A. O’Brien, Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, studies bone biology, focusing on cellular mechanisms of bone remodeling and disease. His research investigates the roles of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, key cell types involved in bone formation and resorption, respectively. O'Brien has received significant federal funding for his work, including over $2.9 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for projects such as the Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research and Osteocyte Control of Bone Remodeling.

His recent publications explore topics including the function of osteocytes in bone loss following medication discontinuation, the NAD salvage pathway's role in skeletal development, and the identification of senescent osteocytes contributing to bone destruction in breast cancer metastasis. O'Brien's laboratory also employs advanced techniques like CRISPR interference for cell type-specific gene editing. His scholarship metrics include an h-index of 64, with 187 publications and over 17,000 citations, highlighting his impact in the field. He actively collaborates with researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Elena Ambrogini, Olivia Reyes-Castro, Maria Almeida, and Hayley M. Sabol.

Metrics

h-index: 64
Publications: 188
Citations: 17,838

Selected Publications

Protocol for the enrichment of endosteal and periosteal mesenchymal cells from murine bone for single-cell transcriptome analysis (2026)

STAR Protocols DOI OpenAlex
A transcriptomic-driven segmentation and cell simulation framework for high-resolution spatial transcriptomics and cell-cell communication (2026)

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex
Mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis and therapeutic recalcitrance of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> osteomyelitis (2026)

Clinical Microbiology Reviews 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
Deletion of the scavenger receptor Scarb1 in osteoblast progenitors and myeloid cells does not affect bone mass (2025)

PLoS ONE DOI OpenAlex
The Aging Landscape by <scp>scRNAseq</scp> of Mesenchymal Lineage Cells in Mouse Bone (2025)

Aging Cell 5 citations DOI OpenAlex
Mechanisms of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species action in bone mesenchymal cells (2025)

Journal of Biological Chemistry 8 citations DOI OpenAlex
Potent suppression of bone remodeling by denosumab does not blunt the anabolic response to romosozumab in mice (2025)

Bone 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
Mechanisms of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species action in bone mesenchymal cells (2025)

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

Federal Grants 5 $2,988,579 total

VA Contact PI Apr 2026 - Mar 2030

Mechanisms Responsible for Bone Loss in Osteomyelitis

Administered by Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System I01

NIH Co-PI Apr 2021 - Dec 2026

Different consequences of cellular aging in cortical versus cancellous bone- Resubmission

National Institute on Aging $375,899 R01

NIH Contact PI Feb 2018 - Jan 2028

Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (CMDR)

National Institute of General Medical Sciences $2,295,000 P20

VA Contact PI Apr 2009 - Jun 2023

Molecular mechanisms of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss

Administered by Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System I01

NIH Contact PI Sep 2003 - Mar 2027

Osteocyte Control of Bone Remodeling

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases $317,680 R01

Grants & Funding

As listed on this researcher's institutional profile. Federal awards with verified records are shown above.

Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (COBRE) NIH/Nat. Inst. of General Medical Sciences Principal Investigator
In Vivo Regulation of IL6 and IL6R Gene Expression NIH/Nat. Inst. of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases Principal Investigator
ABI C. OBrien NIH COBRE FY26 Y4 State of Arkansas Principal Investigator
RANKL and Lymphocyte Mediated Bone Loss Veterans Administration Principal Investigator
Center for Studies of Host Response to Cancer Therapy NIH Co-Investigator
IN VIVO REGULATION OF IL6 AND IL6R GENE EXPRESSION NIH Principal Investigator
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Osteoporosis NIH Co-Investigator
A Transgenic Rat for Noninvasive Assessment of Chondrogenic Activity in vivo NIH Co-Investigator