Celebrating the achievements of Dr. Quentin Pittman

After more than five decades of groundbreaking research, scientific leadership and mentorship, Dr. Quentin Pittman, PhD, is stepping back from his academic role at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI). His retirement provides an opportunity to reflect on his profound impact in neuroscience at the University of Calgary and in the global research community. His legacy includes helping shape our understanding of brain-body interactions, biological sex differences, and the immune system’s role in brain health. Over his career, Pittman has amassed over 16,000 research citations and received numerous prestigious awards, including Fellowships of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and the American Physiological Society. 

Pittman’s academic career began in 1973 with a paper on fever in newborn lambs. That early curiosity sparked a prolific and influential body of work exploring fever, vasopressin and oxytocin signaling (hormones that regulate water balance, blood pressure and maternal reproductive physiology), perinatal neuroimmune development, and the broader field of psychoneuroimmunology— the study of how the nervous and immune systems interact with psychological processes. His studies showed that the brain’s response to infection, inflammation, and hormonal cues is far more complex and variable across development and sex than previously appreciated. 

A committed advocate for women’s health throughout his career, Pittman investigated how female-specific physiological states such as pregnancy, lactation, and hormonal cycling influence the brain and immune system. His work revealed important differences in how men and women regulate fever, especially the role of certain brain chemicals. He also demonstrated how hormones affect the brain and immune system during pregnancy and after birth, helping us better understand maternal mental health and how the brain adapts during this time.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Pittman was among the few researchers exploring female-specific brain function. His work significantly contributed to the growing recognition that biological sex influences not only reproductive biology, but also the brain’s immune, stress, and thermoregulatory systems. These insights remain foundational to the field and continue to influence how researchers approach sex differences in health and disease.

Beyond his contributions to women’s health, Pittman championed a more holistic view of the brain, moving beyond a strictly neurocentric perspective. In collaboration with Dr. Keith Sharkey, PhD, he played an early role in advancing research on the gut-brain connection—well before it became a widely recognized field. Their work demonstrated how inflammation in the gut affects the brain, identified cannabinoid CB2 receptors in the brain, and explored how conditions like colitis can weaken the blood-brain barrier. This research helped pave the way for deeper insights into how the microbiome and immune system affect mental health.

Pittman’s research spanned electrophysiology, behaviour, molecular biology, and systems physiology, always aiming at understanding the whole organism. His findings on perinatal programming of the brain and immune system helped establish a deeper understanding that newborn animals are not simply miniature adults—research that ultimately offered insight to human development. His work influenced a generation of researchers studying how early life experience shapes long-term brain health and vulnerability to disease.

Equally influential is Pittman’s legacy as a leader and mentor. Throughout his career at the University of Calgary, he held several senior roles that shaped the institution’s research and education priorities. He served as assistant dean of Medical Science from 1989 to 1990 and was education director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute from 2005 to 2012. He also served as deputy chair and interim head of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and served as education director for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. In all these roles, he was a passionate advocate for integrating the research and medical communities within the CSM.

Pittman dedicated himself to mentoring the next generation of scientists. He trained hundreds of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting researchers—many of whom now lead innovative research programs around the world. Known for his intellectual rigour, generosity and colourful storytelling, his mentorship style left a lasting impression. As noted in “From smooth brains to Rocky Mountains: Quentin Pittman in a Quintessentially Canadian career,” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, former trainees fondly recall his vivid metaphors and “his uncanny ability to fall asleep during seminars, only to wake up just in time to ask THE pointed question that turns the research on its head.”  (Crosby, K et al. vol. 126 (2025): 330-332. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2025.02.024). 

Whether hiking in the Rockies, debating science at a conference, supporting students behind the scenes, hosting the annual lab barbecues with his wife and longtime partner, Jody, Pittman has always brought a sense of humour, integrity, and humanity to his work. Though he is stepping away from his formal role, his intellectual legacy and mentorship will continue to shape neuroscience and inspire the HBI community for years to come.

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Cumming School of Medicine extend their deepest appreciation to Pittman for a career of discovery, leadership, and unwavering commitment to advancing brain and mental health.

Congratulations on your retirement, Dr. Pittman—and thank you.