Matthew L. Banks, Ph.D.
Professor
Department: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Phone: (804) 828-8466
Email: matthew.banks@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
Robert Blackwell Smith Building, Room 760A
410 North 12th Street
Box 980613
Richmond, Virginia 23298
Education
- Ohio Northern University, Pharm.D., 2003
- Wake Forest University, Ph.D., 2007
Research interests
- Medications development for opioid and psychostimulant addiction
- Development of translational preclinical models of substance use disorders
- Neurobiological mechanisms of decision-making or “choice” between two reinforcers
- Influence of environmental variables on addictive drug reinforcement
My research program aims to improve our basic understanding of the fundamental processes involved in decision-making behaviors between two concurrently available reinforcers and then apply that knowledge towards the development of effective treatment strategies mental health disorders, mostly focusing on substance use disorders. Our research program has focused on developing innovative preclinical drug self-administration procedures that allow for assessment of this behavioral allocation between drug and a variety of nondrug reinforcers such as food, social interaction, and negative reinforcement. We combine these sophisticated behavioral approaches with other molecular or neurochemical technologies to elucidate new targets that may serve as either biomarkers or potential substrates for pharmacological interventions. The ultimate clinical goal of our research program is to develop novel pharmacotherapies and behavioral strategies for treating human suffering from these mental health disorders.
Selected publications
For a complete list of publications listed in PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/matthew.banks.2/bibliography/44032664/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending
Reviews: (*denotes graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or technician as author)
- Banks ML (2026) Opioid Use Disorder treatment gaps and emerging therapeutics to address them. CNS Drugs. doi: 10.1007/s40263-026-01300-0. PMID: 42154181
- Banks ML, Negus SS, Varshneya NB, Reissig CJ, Chiapperino D, Strickland JC, Reed DD, Hursh SR, Kearns DN (2026) Preclinical abuse potential testing using behavioral economics and drug self-administration demand-curve analysis: A strategy to improve resolution of drug stratification for regulatory control. Pharm Rev 78:100112. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmr.2025.100112. PMC12994735
- Marcus MM*, Banks ML (2025) Mechanistic and translational insights from preclinical cocaine choice procedures on the economic substitutability of cocaine and nondrug reinforcers. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 175:106217. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106217. PMC12268939
Primary Research Articles (selected from 2024):
- Baldwin AN*, Banks ML (2026) Effects of nonpharmacological manipulations and repeated xanomeline treatment on methamphetamine-vs-food choice in Sprague Dawley and Long Evans rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 283:113131. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2026.113131. PMC13138848
- Heslep N*, Marsh SA*, Banks ML (2026) Repeated semaglutide treatment attenuates cocaine-vs-food choice in male and female rats. Neuropsychopharmacology. doi: 1038/s41386-026-02386-2. PMC13191343
- Robinson HL*, Banks ML (2026) Differential effects of acute versus repeated chemogenetic activation of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway on cocaine choice in male and female TH:Cre rats. ASPET Discovery 2:100020. doi: 10.1016/j.aspetd.2026.100020. PMC13102296
- Marsh SA*, Heslep N, Paronis CA, Bergman J, Negus SS, Banks ML (2025) Xanomeline treatment attenuates cocaine self-administration in rats and nonhuman primates. Neuropharmacology 281:110686. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2025.110686. PMC12467115
- St Onge CM*, Canfield JR*, Ortiz A*, Sprague JE, Banks ML (2024) Xylazine does not enhance fentanyl reinforcement in rats: A behavioral economic analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend 258: 111282. Doi: 101016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111282. PMC11146009