About Me
I am a behavioral pharmacologist and neuroscientist with 25+ years of experience conducting research using nonhuman primate models of substance use disorders. My research uses behavioral procedures, including drug self-administration and non-invasive brain imaging, including MRI and PET, to characterize the effects of long-term drug use on the brain. Other major research areas are characterization of behavioral, neurobiological and environmental factors that predispose individuals to substance abuse and development of novel medications. I have been heavily involved in recruiting, educating and training PhD, MS, MD and MD/PhD students during my years at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, including serving currently as Director of the Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology (IPP) Program.
Educational Program Involvement
Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology PhD
Program Research Interest: Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Cardiovascular Physiology and Hypertension, Regenerative Medicine, Neuro- and Behavioral Pharmacology, Cancer Therapeutics Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Lifespan Physiology.
Graduate Programs in Neuroscience
Program Research Interest: Addiction and Substance Abuse, Behavioral and Systems Neurobiology, Development and Plasticity, Molecular Neurobiology, Neurological Disease and Aging, Neuropharmacology, Sensory Neurobiology