News and Updates
Congratulations to Julie Medina on 30 years of service! Congratulations on achieving this accomplishment. We appreciate her hard work and dedication and are glad to have her as part of our team!
Dr. Josee Guindon has been recognized as the 2023 William A. Devane Young Investigator Award honoree by the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). Congratulations on this amazing achievement!
Click here to read the article on everything Lubbock.com or click here for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
Dr. Michael Blanton and Peyton Presto, MD/PhD student, were recently included in an article from U.S. News & World Report article, titled; "M.D.-Ph.D. Programs Fuse Medicine and Research, Students who earn these two degrees often find jobs as research scientists on medical school faculties." Congratulations on this exciting contribution! To read the full article, click here.
CTNT's 7th Annual Symposium | May 10th
The Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics (CTNT) and Garrison Institute on Aging (GIA) held their 7th Annual Symposium on Wednesday, May 10th. This event featured Distinguished Keynote Speaker and ADK Lecturer: Smriti Iyengar, Ph.D., DIRECTOR, Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP) program, in the Division of Translational Research, NINDS NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Visit the CTNT page by clicking here.
The Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience would like to welcome the following faculty:
- Chhanda Bose, Ph.D.
- Boris Decourt, Ph.D., University of Bordeaux
- Hongmin Wang, Ph.D., University of Idaho
We look forward to working alongside them and know their expertise will be a great addition to our team!
We'd like to welcome the following students to the Translational Neursocience and Pharmacology Concentration:
- Philip Antwi-Adjei (Spring 2023), Philip will be joining Dr. Igor Ponomarev's lab.
- Zachary Hurtado (Spring 2023), Zachary will be joining Dr. Volker Neugebauer's lab.
- Caezaan Keshvani, (Fall 2022), Caezaan has joined Dr. Patrick Reynold's lab.
- Neha Sawant, (Spring 2023), Neha will be joining Dr. P. Hemachandra Reddy's lab.
We are delighted to welcome Shane Smith to the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience! Shane has joined Dr. Josh Lawrence's lab. We welcome him to the team and department!
Current Grants
NIDA-1R01DA044999-01A1
September 2018 - July 2023
“Mechanisms of cannabinoid tolerance”
R01NS109255
"Pronociceptive and antinociceptive opioid mechanisms in the central nucleus of the
amygdala"
NIH R01 AG071859-01A1
January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2026
"Transcriptional Dysfunction in Dentate Gyrus Cell Types: Roles of Retinoic Acid Responsive
Genes in Protection Against Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis"
PI Josh Lawrence, Co-I Igor Ponomarev, expected to receive $1,872,220
NIH R01 AG073826-01A1
August 1, 2022 - April 30, 2027
"The hippocampal dentate gyrus in aging and Alzheimer's disease: boosting transcription
of retinoic acid-sensitive genes through HDAC inhibition and vitamin A supplementation"
PI Josh Lawrence, expected to receive $3,158,615.
Garrison Family Foundation
"Examining Effects of Respite and Individual Clinical Interventions on Biopsychosocial
Outcomes in Informal Caregivers of Dementia Patients"
NIH/NINDS R01 NS129552
September 20, 2022 - July 31, 2027
“Brain Circuits of Migraine Pain”
PI (Contact), Frank Porreca (University of Arizona), MPI, Edita Navratilova (University
of Arizona), MPI, Volker Neugebauer, expected to receive $3,118,625 (TTUHSC subcontract
$1,235,720)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) research grant
September 1, 2022 - August 31,2023
“Implementing Individual Mental Health Treatment and Respite for Hispanic Informal
Caregivers of Individuals with Dementia”
PI, Jonathan Singer, TTU, MPI, Volker Neugebauer, expected to receive $14,000
Garrison Family Foundation
January 15, 2021 - November 30, 2026
“Increasing Mental Health Services for Low Income and Minority Informal Caregivers
of Dementia Patients: A GIA and TTU Collaboration”
PI, Volker Neugebauer, expected to receive $75,000
NIH/NINDS R01 NS038261
December 15, 2021 - November 30, 2026
"Amygdala Pain Mechanisms"
PI, Volker Neugebauer, MPI, Igor Ponomarev, expected to receive $2,757,940
NIH/NINDS R01 NS120395
Impact Score: 10, Percentile: 1.0
August 1, 2021 - July 31, 2026
"A prolactin-mediated neuroendocrine link between stress-induced latent sensitization
and female-selective pain"
PI (Contact), Frank Porreca (University of Arizona), MPI, Edita Navratilova (University
of Arizona), MPI, Volker Neugebauer, expected to receive $2,297,350 (TTUHSC subcontract
$921,815)
USDA/NIFA 2021-67017-34026
January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023
"Ginger root extract for neuropathic path"
PI (Contact), Chwan-Li (Leslie) Shen, MPI, Volker Neugebauer, expected to receive
$500,000
NIH/NINDS R01 NS118731
August 1, 2020 - July 31, 2025
"Trans-Synaptic Signaling Complex in Amygdala Pain Mechanisms"
PI (Contact), Shashank David (Creighton University), MPI, Volker Neugebauer, expected
to receive $2,674,615 (TTUHSC Subcontract $ 733,450)
NIH/NINDS R01 NS109255
August 15, 2019 - June 30, 2024
"Pronociceptive and Antinociceptive Opioid Mechanisms in the Central Nucleus of the
Amygdala"
PI (Contact), Edita Navratilova (University of Arizona), PI, Guangchen Ji, Co-I, Volker
Neugebauer, expected to receive $2,544,148 (TTUHSC subcontract $1,253,415)
NIH/NIAAA R01 AA027096
July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2023
“The Neuroimmune Model of Excessive Alcohol Consumption: Transition to Alcohol Use
Disorder"
PI, Igor Ponomarev, Co-I, Volker Neugebauer, expected to receive $2,868,750 (original
start date, 09/10/2018; transferred to TTUHSC on 07/01/19)
NIH/NINDS R01 NS106902
April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2023
“Stress-Induced Descending Facilitation from Amygdala Kappa Opioid Receptors in Functional
Pain”
PI (Contact), Frank Porreca (University of Arizona), MPI, Volker Neugebauer, expected
to receive $ 2,740,180 (TTUHSC subcontract $ 1,295,245)
NIH/NIAAA R03 AA028370
May 1, 2020 - March 31, 2022
"Effects of chronic alcohol consumption on the synaptic translatome"
NIH/NIAAA R01 AA027096
September 10, 2018 - June 30, 2023
"The neuroimmune model of excessive alcohol consumption: Transition to Alcohol Use
Disorder"
PI, Igor Ponomarev, Co-I, Volker Neugebauer, expected to receive $2,868,750 (original
start date, 09/10/2018; transferred to TTUHSC on 07/01/19)
NIH/NINDS R01 NS038261
December 15, 2021- December 14, 2026
"Amygdala Pain Mechanisms"
PI, Volker Neugebauer, MPI, Igor Ponomarev, expected to receive $2,757,940
NIH/NIA R01 AG071859-01A1
January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2026
"Transcriptional Dysfunction in Dentate Gyrus Cell Types: Roles of Retinoic Acid Responsive
Genes in Protection Against Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis"
PI Josh Lawrence, Co-I Igor Ponomarev, expected to receive $1,872,220
Foundation for Prader-Willi Research
April 15, 2022 – April 14 2023
"MAGEL2 role in adaptive stress response: New insights into MAGEL2 function and pathogenesis
of PWS"
MPI Igor Ponomarev, 10% effort, $30,000 (Direct Cost).
Got Questions?
We're here to help. Contact us if you have questions.
Lisa Moran
Administrative Assistant
(806) 743 - 1280
l.moran@ttuhsc.edu