Robert T. Jensen, M.D.

Senior Investigator

Gastrointestinal Cell Biology Section, Digestive Disease Branch

NIDDK

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Building NIHBC 10 - Clinical Center, Room 9C103
10 Center Dr
Bethesda, MD 20892

robert.jensen@nih.gov

Research Topics

The ultimate goal of our research is to understand the role of digestive hormones in health and disease and to allow better treatment of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Current Research

The Gastrointestinal Cell Biology Section is involved in research studying the cellular basis of action of gastrointestinal (GI) hormones (primarily bombesin-related peptides, gastrin-releasing peptide, neuromedin B, CCK-related peptides, and VIP secretin-related peptides) and clinical and laboratory studies on human gastric acid hypersecretory states such as Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

The studies on GI hormones involve intracellular signaling cascades, especially tyrosine phosphorylation (primarily CCK, bombesin), molecular pharmacology of their receptors (especially bombesin-related peptides), and structure-function studies of various receptor ligands to develop selective agonists and antagonists. In addition, we are conducting studies on characterizing the bombesin-related receptor, BRS-3, as well as developing ligands to deliver receptor-specific chemotherapy to tumors ectopically expressing these receptors.

Studies of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome involve clinical studies of the diagnosis, localization, and treatment of the gastrinoma and of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, which occurs in a portion of the patients. Laboratory studies involve the characterization of the molecular pathogenesis of gastrinomas and identification of useful prognostic factors.

Applying our Research

These studies will lead to insights that will help in the treatment of patients with GI disorders or with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Biography

  • M.D., University of Chicago, 1964
  • B.S., Washington State University, 1960

Selected Publications

  2. Alexander SPH, Davenport AP, Kelly E, Gibb AJ, Mathie AA, Peach CJ, Veale EL, Armstrong JF, Faccenda E, Harding SD, Southan C, Davies JA, Abbracchio MP, Abraham GR, Agoulnik A, Alexander W, Al-Hosaini K, Bäck M, Baker JG, Barnes NM, Bathgate R, Beaulieu JM, Beck-Sickinger AG, Behrens M, Bennett KA, Bernstein KE, Bettler B, Birdsall NJM, Blaho VA, Bonaventure P, Boulay F, Bousquet C, Bräuner-Osborne H, Brown AJ, Burnstock G, Busnelli M, Caló G, Caruso V, Castaño JP, Catt KJ, Ceruti S, Chazot P, Chiang N, Chini B, Christopoulos A, Chun J, Cianciulli A, Civelli O, Clapp LH, Couture R, Cox HM, Csaba Z, Dahlgren C, Dautzenberg FM, Dent G, Douglas SD, Dournaud P, Dubocovich ML, Eguchi S, Escher E, Filardo EJ, Fong T, Forsman HF, Fumagalli M, Gainetdinov RR, Garelja ML, de Gasparo M, Gbahou F, Gerard C, Gershengorn M, Glass M, Gloriam DE, Gobeil F, Goodfriend TL, Goudet C, Grätz L, Gregory KJ, Gruber C, Gundlach AL, Hamann J, Hanson J, Hartman DS, Hauger RL, Hay DL, Heinemann A, Heitman L, Herr DR, Hollenberg MD, Holliday ND, Holst B, Horiuchi M, Hoyer D, Hunyady L, Husain A, IJzerman AP, Inagami T, Insel PA, Jacobson KA, Jacobson LH, Jensen RT, Jockers R, Jonnalagadda D, Karnik S, Kaupmann K, Kemp J, Kennedy C, Kihara Y, Kinsolving J, Kitazawa T, Kozielewicz P, Kreienkamp HJ, Kukkonen JP, Laishram L, Langenhan T, Langmead CJ, Larhammar D, Leach K, Lecca D, Lee JD, Leeman SE, Leprince J, Leurs R, Li XX, Liebscher I, Lolait SJ, Lupp A, Macrae R, Maguire JJ, Malfacini D, Manning M, Marangon D, Martemyanov K, Mazella J, McArdle CA, Melmed S, Michel MC, Miller LJ, Mitolo V, Mouillac B, Müller CE, Murphy PM, Nahon JL, Neubig RR, Ngo T, Norel X, Nyimanu D, O'Carroll AM, Offermanns S, Panaro MA, Parmentier M, Perry-Hauser N, Pertwee RG, Pin JP, Prossnitz ER, Qin HC, Quinn M, Raffaele S, Ramachandran R, Ray M, Reinscheid RK, Buzón AR, Rondard P, Rosenkilde MM, Rovati GE, Ruzza C, Sanger GJ, Scholz N, Schöneberg T, Schulte G, Schulz S, Segaloff DL, Serhan CN, Shukla AK, Singh KD, Smith CM, Smith NJ, Stäubert C, Stoddart LA, Sugimoto Y, Summers R, Tan VP, Thal DM, Thomas WW, Timmermans PBMWM, Tirupula K, Toll L, Tulipano G, Unal H, Unger T, Valant C, Vanderheyden P, Vaudry D, Vaudry H, Verbalis JG, Vilardaga JP, Walker CS, Wang JM, Ward DT, Wester HJ, Willars GB, Williams TL, Woodruff TM, Wu H, Yang C, Yao C, Ye RD, Zaidman N. The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2025/26: G protein-coupled receptors. Br J Pharmacol. 2025;182 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S24-S151.
  3. Ramos-Álvarez I, Mantey SA, Jensen RT. Role of serine/threonine phosphatases 1 and 2A in pancreatic acinar fluid and electrolyte secretion. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2026;330(2):G225-G241.
  4. Jensen RT, Ramos-Alvarez I, Norton JA. Current Medical Controversies in Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. Biomedicines. 2025;13(12).
  5. Moody TW, Lee L, Ramos-Alvarez I, Iordanskaia T, Mantey SA, Jensen RT. Bombesin Receptor Family Activation and CNS/Neural Tumors: Review of Evidence Supporting Possible Role for Novel Targeted Therapy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2021;12:728088.

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This page was last updated on Thursday, September 3, 2026