Charles A. O’Brien

Federal Grant PI High Impact

Professor of Medicine

UAMS

Last publication 2026 Last refreshed 2026-05-22

faculty

Internal Med, College of Medicine

64 h-index 170 pubs 17,589 cited

Research Areas

Links

ORCID Google Scholar Lab Website UAMS TRI Profile

OverviewAI-generated summary

Charles A. O’Brien is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, focusing his research on bone biology and remodeling. His work investigates the cellular mechanisms underlying bone formation and resorption, particularly the roles of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Recent publications explore the function of osteocytes in bone resorption following medication discontinuation and the impact of NAD salvage pathways on skeletal development in mice. Dr. O’Brien also studies the cellular and molecular aspects of bone diseases, including osteomyelitis and the effects of breast cancer metastasis on bone tissue. His research employs advanced techniques like CRISPR interference and single-cell transcriptomics to refine cell type identification and understand disease pathogenesis.

Dr. O’Brien has received significant federal funding for his research endeavors. He serves as PI on the NIH-funded "Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (CMDR)" ($2,295,000) and "Osteocyte Control of Bone Remodeling" ($300,960). Additionally, he is a Co-PI on an NIH/National Institute on Aging award for "Different consequences of cellular aging in cortical versus cancellous bone" ($375,899). His scholarly output includes 168 publications with over 17,000 citations, and he maintains an h-index of 64, reflecting a highly cited research profile. 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: 170
Citations: 17,589

Selected Publications

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

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

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

2 citations DOI OpenAlex
A new <i>Col1a1</i> conditional knock-in mouse model to study osteogenesis imperfecta (2024)

1 citation DOI OpenAlex
Denosumab stimulates spermatogenesis in infertile men with preserved Sertoli cell capacity (2024)

5 citations DOI OpenAlex
Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis Identifies Senescent Osteocytes That Trigger Bone Destruction in Breast Cancer Metastasis (2024)

13 citations DOI OpenAlex
RANKL-mediated osteoclast formation is required for bone loss in a murine model of Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis (2024)

14 citations DOI OpenAlex
A New Mouse Model to Dissect the Contribution of Intrinsic Lung Defects Versus Extrinsic Skeletal Defects to Impaired Lung Function in Osteogenesis Imperfecta (2024)

DOI OpenAlex
Single-cell Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Senescent Osteocytes as Contributors to Bone Destruction in Breast Cancer Metastasis (2024)

3 citations DOI OpenAlex
Refining the identity of mesenchymal cell types associated with murine periosteal and endosteal bone (2024)

23 citations DOI OpenAlex
A framework for defining mesenchymal cell types associated with murine periosteal and endosteal bone (2023)

1 citation DOI OpenAlex
OR27-02 The Bone Anabolic Effect Of An Antibody Blocking Oxidized Phospholipids Is Associated With An Increase In Wnt10b In Osteoblasts. (2023)

DOI OpenAlex
Retraction notice to “Deletion of the scavenger receptor Scarb1 in myeloid cells does not affect bone mass” [Bone 170(2023) 116702] (2023)

DOI OpenAlex
Reduced osteoprotegerin expression by osteocytes may contribute to rebound resorption after denosumab discontinuation (2023)

45 citations DOI OpenAlex
CRISPR interference provides increased cell type-specificity compared to the Cre-loxP system (2023)

6 citations DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

Federal Grants 3 $2,988,579 total

NIH/National Institute on Aging 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/National Institute of General Medical Sciences Contact PI Feb 2018 - Jan 2028

Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (CMDR)

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

NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases 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

Center for Musculoskeletal Disease Research (CMDR) NIH/Nat. Inst. of General Medical Sciences Principal Investigator
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
Osteocyte Control of Bone Remodeling NIH/Nat. Inst. of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases 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