Pharmacology and Neuroscience | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

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Chairman's Welcome

Welcome to the website for the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). Our department is dedicated to excellence in research, medical and graduate education, and service by creating, advancing and disseminating knowledge about drug actions and nervous system functions and dysfunctions.
Great collegiality and collaborative work environment are hallmarks of our departmental culture. We continue to strengthen and expand interactions with basic scientists across TTUHSC and TTU while building translational bridges with our clinical departments.
Our faculty are well funded by several NIH and foundation grants for studies on clinically relevant disorders. Chronic pain, alcohol use disorder, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s are main areas of interest and expertise.
Our department houses the Center for Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics (CTNT) and the Translational Neuroscience and Pharmacology (TNP) graduate concentration. Our faculty make valuable contributions to medical and graduate school education, including as SOM Block Director and GSBS Program/Concentration and Course Directors.
Thank you for visiting our website. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or for more information.

2023

Volker Neugebauer, M.D., Ph.D.

Mission Statement

The Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience is strongly committed to contributing to the overall mission of TTUHSC to improve the health of people through innovation and collaboration.
Our goal is to perform innovative translational research on clinically relevant and timely topics, and support and promote collaborative research at the School of Medicine and across the University; to offer state-of-the-art education in medical pharmacology and neuroscience to medical and graduate students; and to provide a simulating first-rate learning and training environment for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in the department.

Faculty Position — Faculty Position
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Congratulations!

We are very proud that Drs. Decourt Guindon and Singer have been selected to represent TTUHSC at legislative sessions in Austin. Drs. Decourt and Singer presented on translational and clinical research on brain health and dementias at the Texas Dementia Symposium on February 20 in Austin in support of the supporting the Dementia Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) bill. Dr. Singer was invited back to testify on the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) bill HB 5 to the House Public Committee on Public Health at the State Capitol on March 10. Dr. Guindon testified about THC as a resource witness for HB 28 in House State Affairs at the State Capitol on April 7.

Congratulations to Dr. Singer on receiving the Excellence in Research Award at the TTU Faculty Awards Ceremony! What an incredible achievement!

Congratulations Dr Volker Neugebauer, Dr. Takaki Kiritoshi, and Dr. Vadim Yakhnitsa on receiving the NIH/NCCIH Intramural Scientific Achievement Merit Award! Your dedication and contributions to the field are truly inspiring, and this recognition is well-deserved. Wishing you all continued success!

Congratulations to Mariacristina Mazzitelli for being accepted into the prestigious 2025 International Astrocyte School! Out of a competitive pool of applicants, she is among the fortunate 35 students chosen to participate in this exclusive, one, week course, taking place from April 6-13 in Bertinoro, Italy. This is an incredible achievement and a wonderful opportunity for professional and academic growth. Well done!

It is with great pleasure to congratulate Dr. Volker Neugebauer on his appointment of the Grover E. Murray Professorship! This is the highest honor Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center can present to a professor. To read the Daily Dose article, click here or click here to read the article on the KCBD website.

Congratulations to Dr. Volker Neugebauer on being one of twelve TTUHSC faculty in the top 2% of the World's Scientists Rankings. To read the article, click here.

Congratulations to Peyton Presto on being selected as the 2024 Alexander D. Kenny Outstanding Graduate Student Award recipient!

Congratulations to the following students on their successful Dissertation Defenses: Trevor Burrow, in Dr. Pat Reynold's lab, Xiaobo Liu, in Dr. Susan Bergeson's lab, and
Peyton Presto, in Dr. Volker Neugebauer's lab.

Congratulations to Neha Sawant, in Dr. Susan Bergeson's lab. Neha has been named one of the 2024 Dean's Scholars!

We are delighted to announce that Dr. Michael Blanton has been chosen to receive the "Unsung Hero" award for his immense contributions to our students, faculty, and staff. Congratulations, Dr. Blanton!