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Research

The Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience has a strong focus on excellence in research with $7 million dollars in grant funding this year in the areas of aging, substance abuse, receptor pharmacology (signal transduction and molecular mechanisms) and vision science/ocular pharmacology.

Research News:
Bob Luedtke receives Michael J Fox Grant for Parkinson's disease research
Sonny Singh receives Program Project Grant for Alzheimer's disease research

Program Project Grants
The Health Science Center is among the few institutions in the nation to have been awarded three Program Project Grants grants within a single department. Click here for a description of the projects.

Departmental Equipment list (intranet use only)

Faculty Research Interests

Robert Barber, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Biomarkers that mediate response to traumatic injury and Alzheimer's disease.
Rebecca Cunningham, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Roles of steroid hormones, especially androgens, during aging.
Hriday Das, Ph.D. 
Professor
Roles of apolipoprotein B in development of athlerosclerosis and presenilin-1 in Alzheimer's disease.

Adnan Dibas, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor

Role of aquaporin-9 in glaucoma and ocular toxicity.
Michael J. Forster, Ph.D. 
Professor and Vice Chairman
Mechanisms of brain aging and decline in motor, cognitive and sensory function.
Michael B. Gatch, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Discriminative stimulus properties of ethanol, stimulants and hallucinogens.
Eric Gonzalez, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor
Protein crystallography to determine integral membrane protein structures. involved in pain, neuropsychiatric disorders, and stroke.
Ren-Qi Huang, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor
Electrophysiological effects of modulation of ligand-gated channels/receptors.
Kunlin Jin, M.D., Ph.D.  Angiogenesis, neurogenesis, neuroprotection and ischemic events.
Marianna Eunsun Jung, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Molecular pharmacology of estrogen neuroprotection during ethanol withdrawal.
Robert R. Luedtke, Ph.D. 
Professor
Molecular pharmacology of dopamine receptors.
Tina Machu, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor/ Assistant Dean of Pre-Clinical Medical Education
Neuropharmacology of the serotonin 5-HT3 receptor.
Michael W. Oglesby, Ph.D. 
Professor
Drug tolerance and withdrawal.
Katalin Prokai-Tatrai, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Medicinal chemistry of neuropeptides, peptidomimetics, and phenolic antioxidants.
John A. Schetz, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor
Molecular neuropharmacology and signal transduction of G-protein coupled receptors related the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Applied "green" technologies for the control of aquatic and marine biofouling.
Derek Schreihofer, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Neuroprotection by soy and phytoestrogens in stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
Meharvan "Sonny" Singh, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Mechanisms by which progestins and androgens promote nerve cell survival.
Chang Su, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Roles of neurotrophins in development and survival of neuronal cells.
Nathalie Sumien, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Brain aging and antioxidants.
Rosalie M. Uht, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Corticotropin-releasing factor and sex differences in the stress response
Victor Uteshev, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Liang-Jun Yan, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction in brain aging and neurodegeneration.
Shao-Hua Yang, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Mechanisms and development of pharmacological treatments for ischemic cerebral stroke.
Thomas Yorio, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice President
Regulation of intraocular pressure and membrane permeability of epithelial cells.