Student Seminar Series
Student seminars are on Mondays and Thursdays at noon in Sanger Hall, room 2-020.
Date | Presenters
Jan. 16 (Thursday) Journal Club: Abduljameed Jali
Jan. 20: University holiday
Jan. 23 (Thursday) Journal Club: Julien Dodu
Jan. 27 (Monday): Leah Aclin
Feb. 3 (Monday): Yasmin Alkhlaif
Feb. 10 (Monday): Emily Brocato
Feb. 13 (Thursday) Journal Club: Mohammed Mustafa & Roz Goodson
Feb. 17 (Monday): Donald Jessup
Feb. 20 (Thursday) Journal Club: Clare Diester
Feb. 24 (Monday): Christina Lee
Feb. 27 (Thursday) Journal Club: Lois Akinola
Mar. 9: Spring Break week
Mar. 16 (Monday): Edna Santos
Mar. 19 (Thursday) Journal Club: Leah Aclin & Valerie Carpenter
Mar. 23 (Monday): Maria Bent
Mar. 26 (Thursday) Journal Club: Yasmin Alkhlaif
Mar. 30 (Monday) Journal Club: Emily Brocato & Katherine Contreras
Apr. 6 (Monday) Journal Club: Donald Jessup & Aminatta Tejan-Kamara
Apr. 13 (Monday) Journal Club: Christina Lee & Jayden Elmer
Apr. 23 (Thursday): Lois Akinola
Apr. 27 (Monday) Journal Club: Edna Santos & Zara Siddiqui
Postdoctoral Trainee Seminar Series
Seminars are held at noon in Sanger Hall, room 1-044.
Date | Presenters
Tuesday February 25: Esad Ulker
"Beyond Reflexive Measures in Pain"
Tuesday March 3: Taylor Ochalek
"Examining sucrose subjective response among individuals with opioid use disorder"
Tuesday March 10: Lesley Schurman
"Aromatase inhibition-induced memory deficit in mice: an endocannabinoid strategy pilot grant"
Departmental Seminars
Departmental seminars are held Tuesday at noon in Sanger Hall, Room 1-044
Jan. 28 2020: Dr. Peter Hamilton, VCU Dept. of Anatomy and Neurobiology. Host: Dr. Jennifer Wolstenholme
"Transcriptional Reprogramming at Zfp189 Reveals Key Molecular Disruptions that Contribute to Addiction and Depression"
Feb. 11 2020: Dr. David Kearns, American University. Host: Dr. Steve Negus
"Behavioral Economic Variables Controlling Drug Self-administration: Income, Economy, and Substitutability"
Feb. 18 2020: Dr. Paul Whiteaker, Barrow Neurological Institute. Host: Dr. Darlene Brunzell
"New approaches to studying and targeting nicotinic receptors in normal and disease physiology"
(Canceled) Mar. 17 2020: Dr. Debra Kendall, University of Connecticut. Host: Dr. Aron Lichtman
(Canceled) Mar. 24 2020: Dr. Michael Miles, VCU Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology
(Canceled) Mar. 31 2020: Dr. Darlene Brunzell, VCU Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology
(Canceled) Apr. 14 2020: Dr. Hamid Akbarali, VCU Dept. of Pharmacology & Toxicology
(Canceled) Apr. 21 2020: Dr. Andrew Ottens, VCU Dept. of Anatomy & Neurobiology. Host: Dr. Imad Damaj
(Canceled) Apr. 28 2020: Dr. Rong Ma, UNT Health Sciences Center. Host: Dr. Ningjun Li
Past seminars
Date | Presenters
Aug. 26 (Monday): Megan Hollis, Career Services
Sept. 2: University Closed - Labor Day
Sept. 5 (Thursday): Dr. Jill Bettinger
Sept. 9 (Monday): Julie Meade
Sept. 16 (Monday): Guy Harris
Sept. 17 (Tuesday): Thesis Defense: Liliya Tyutyunyk-Massey (noon, Sanger 1-044)
"Modulation of autophagy and senescence to enhance the response to therapy in triple negative breast cancer"
Sept. 30 (Monday): Karan Muchhala
Oct. 7 (Monday): Nipa Patel
Oct. 10 (Thursday) Journal Club: Julie Meade
Oct. 14 (Monday): Neil Varshneya
Oct. 17 (Thursday) Journal Club: Guy Harris
Oct. 28 (Monday): Valerie Carpenter
Oct. 31 (Thursday) Journal Club: Liliya Tyutyunyk-Massey
Nov. 4 (Monday): Clare Deister
Nov. 7 (Thursday) Journal Club: Karan Muchhala
Nov. 11 (Monday): Julien Dodu
Nov. 14 (Thursday): Abdulmameed Jali
Nov. 18 (Monday): Roz Goodson
Nov. 21 (Thursday) Journal Club: Nipa Patel
Nov. 25: Thanksgiving Holiday week
Dec. 2 (Monday) Mohammed Mustafa
Seminars are on Tuesdays, 12-12:50p.m. in Sanger Hall, First Floor, Room 1-044 (unless otherwise noted).
Date | Speaker, Topic
Aug. 27, 2019: No seminar scheduled at this time.
Sept. 3, 2019: No seminar scheduled at this time.
Sept. 10, 2019: No seminar scheduled at this time.
Sept. 17, 2019: No seminar scheduled at this time.
Sept. 24, 2019: Dr. Cassandra Gipson-Reichardt, Arizona State University. Host: Dr. Bill Dewey
"Translating Addiction Neuroscience: Discovering New Therapeutic Targets and Pharmacotherapies"
Oct. 1, 2019: No seminar scheduled at this time.
Oct. 8, 2019: Dr. Erin Calipari, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Host: Dr. Matt Banks
"A Novel Framework for Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine in Learned Behavior"
Oct. 15, 2019: Dr. MaryPeace McRae, Virginia Commonwealth University. Host: Dr. Kurt Hauser
"The interplay between opiates and HIV-1 to perturb the cellular/regional biodistribution of antiretrovirals within the brain"
Oct. 29, 2019: Dr. Guizhi (Julian) Zhu, Virginia Commonwealth University. Host: Dr. Aron Lichtman
"Drug delivery using biocompatible bioconjugates and nanoparticles"
Nov. 12, 2019: Dr. Roger Papke, University of Florida. Host: Dr. Darlene Brunzell
"Betel nut, an orphan addiction and world health problem"
Nov. 19, 2019: Dr. Qing-song Liu, Medical College of Wisconsin. Host: Dr. William Dewey
"Mechanistic studies of cAMP effectors in cocaine addiction"
Dec. 3, 2019: Dr. Kurt Hauser, Virginia Commonwealth University
“Cellular and molecular evidence that opioids exacerbate HIV-associated pathology in the central nervous system”
Dec. 10, 2019: Dr. Sandeep K. Mallipattu, Stony Brook University. Host: Dr. Ningjun Li
"Krüppel-like factors: Three fingers in control of kidney disease"
Dec. 17, 2019: Dr. Mariella De Biasi, University of Pennsylvania. Host: Dr. Imad Damaj
Jan. 15 2019: Dr. Sean Farris, University of Texas at Austin. Host: Dr. Michael Miles
"Integrative Neurogenomics for Alcohol Use Disorder"
Feb. 5 2019: Dr. S. Stevens Negus, Virginia Commonwealth University.
"Responding to the NIH HEAL Initiative: Preclinical Research Strategies for Drug Discovery to Treat Pain and Opioid Abuse"
Feb. 12 2019: Dr. Robert L. Balster, Virginia Commonwealth University.
"The Role of Drug Discrimination in Learning Theories of Addiction"
Feb. 26: Dr. Michelle Peace, Virginia Commonwealth University. Host: Dr. Steve Negus
"The Impact of the Opioid Epidemic to Criminal Justice: How Enhancing Forensic Science Collaborations Lead to Proactive Investigations"
Mar. 12 2019: Dr. Leandro Vendruscolo, National Institute of Drug Abuse. Host; Dr. Joel Schlosburg
"Heroin Addiction: Role of the HPA Axis and Extrahypothalamic Stress Systems"
Mar. 19 2019: Dr. Jill C. Bettinger, Virginia Commonwwealth University.
"New Ways to Explore the Molecular Effects of Ethanol in C. elegans"
Mar. 26 2019: (Student Choice Seminar) Dr. Sylvia Fitting, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
"The Endocannabinoid System as a Therapeutic Target in HIV-1 Tat Toxicity"
Apr. 2 2019:Dr. Jeff Martin, Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Host: Dr. Steve Negus
"Peripheral Nerve Injury in the Rat: Is it Really Painful?"
Apr. 16 2019: Dr. Shiyou Chen, University of Georgia. Host: Dr. Pin-Lan Li
"Smooth Muscle in Vascular Development and Remodeling"
Apr. 23 2019: Dr. Minolfa C. Prieto, Tulane University School of Medicine. Host: Dr. Ningjun Li
"Prerenin Receptor and Its Implications in Cardiovascular Diseases"
Apr. 30 2019: Dr. Steve Kinsey, West Virginia University. Host: Dr. Aron Lichtman
"Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Dependence-Inducing Effects of Cannabinoids"
Aug. 28, 2018: Dr. Pablo Ortiz, Wayne State University School of Medicine. Host: Dr. Pin-Lan Li
"Studying New Genes involved in Thick Ascending Limb Function and Salt-Sensitive Hypertension"
Sept. 18, 2018: Dr. S. Stevens Negus, Virginia Commonwealth University.
“How to Treat Opioid Addiction: Behavioral Pharmacology Solutions to a Behavioral Pharmacology Problem”
Sept. 25, 2018: Dr. Laxmikant Deshpande, Virginia Commonweath University
"The Toxicological Basis and Pharmacological Therapeutics for Gulf War Illness"
Oct. 2, 2018: Dr. Melissa Herman, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Host: Dr. Joel Schlosburg
"The role of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and a NTS-central amygdala circuit in alcohol-induced plasticity and drinking behavior"
Oct. 9, 2018: Dr. Kim Raab-Graham, Wake Forest School of Medicine. Host: Dr. Michael Miles
"Common mechanisms between rapidly acting antidepressants and alcohol"
Oct. 16, 2018: Dr. David Gewirtz, Virginia Commonwealth University
"The challenge of overcoming the entrenched scientific paradigm that senescence is an 'irreversible' form of growth"
Oct. 23, 2018: Dr. Matthew Hartman, Virginia Commonwealth University. Host: Dr. David Gewirtz
"New strategies for the treatment of cancer with light"
Oct. 30, 2018: Dr. Venetia (Vanna) Zachariou, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Host: Dr. Dana Selley
"Optimizing the actions of opioid analgesics via interventions in G protein signaling"
Nov. 27, 2018: Dr. Matthew Banks, Virginia Commonwealth University
"Why Failure is Critical for Science to Improve Human Health"
Dec. 4, 2018: Dr. Laura D. Mathies, Virginia Commonwealth University
“SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes regulate behavioral responses to alcohol in C. elegans”
Seminars are on Tuesdays, 4-4:50 p.m. in Sanger Hall, First Floor, Room 1-044 (unless otherwise noted).
Date | Speaker, Topic
Jan. 16, 2018: Brant Isakson, Ph.D. UVA Vivian Pinn Scholar Associate Professor Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Resident Faculty, Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center University of Virginia School of Medicine
Charlottesville, VA Host: Dr. Pin-Lan Li, Pannexin1 in the vasculature
Jan. 23, 2018: Frank Gupton, Ph.D. Chair and Professor Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23298 Host: Dr. David Gewirtz, Streamlining pharmaceutical processes to increase global access to health care
Jan. 30, 2018: Jason Reed, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Physics
Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23298 Host: Dr. David Gewirtz, High-Speed Live Cell Interferometry: A New Method for Rapidly Quantifying Tumor Drug Resistance and Heterogeneity
Feb. 6, 2018: TBA Host: TBA
Feb. 13, 2018: Sandro da Rocha, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Chemical and Life Sciences Engineering Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23298 Host: Dr. David Gewirtz, Dendrimer Nanocarriers for the Delivery of Therapeutics to and through the Lungs and their Potential in Repurposing Doxorubicin for Lung Cancer Treatment
Feb. 20, 2018: Gavril W. Pasternak, MD., Ph.D. Neurologist Anne Burnett Tandy Chair of Neurology Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Host: Dr. Bill Dewey, TBA
Feb. 27, 2018: TBA Host: TBA
Mar. 6, 2018: Yavin Shaham, Ph.D. Senior Investigator Intramural Research Program Branch Chief, Behavioral Neuroscience Section Chief, Neurobioloy of Relapse, NIDA Baltimore, MD 21224 Host: Dr. Matthew Banks, Incubation of drug craving after voluntary abstinence: behavior and circuit mechanisms
Mar. 13, 2018: TBA
Mar. 20, 2018: Robert L. Balster, Ph.D. Professor Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Richmond, VA 23298, Is nicotine vaping part of the solution to tobacco-related death and disease, or part of the problem?
Mar. 27, 2018: Ku-Lung Hsu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Chemistry
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA 22904 Host: Dr. Aron Lichtman, Chemoproteomic Strategies to Decode Metabolic Regulation of Lipid Signaling
Apr. 3, 2018: Joel Schlosburg, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23298 Host:, “Utilizing Mechanisms of Stress Resilience to Slow the Progression of Addiction”
April 10, 2018: Luni Emdad, Ph.D. Department of Human Genetics Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 23298 Host: Dr. David Gewirtz, "Novel Strategy for the Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer"
Apr. 17, 2018: Rujun Gong, Ph.D. Associate Professor Director of Kidney Research at the Nephrology Division Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Host: Dr. Ningjun Li, "Therapeutic targeting of GSK3b in kidney disease"
April 30, 2018: Special Seminar Kathryn Cunningham, Ph.D. Chauncey Leake Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology Director, Center for Addiction Research Vice Chair, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX 77555 Host: Dr. Bill Dewey, "Serotonin Matters in Addiction: Strategies for Pharmacotherapeutics"
May 15, 2018: Matt Buczynski, Ph.D. Assistant Professor School of Neuroscience Virginia Tech University Blacksburg, VA Host: Dr. Joel Schlosburg, "The Role of Endocannabinoid Signaling Pathways in Nicotine Addiction"
May 22, 2018: Student-invited speaker Ken Mackie, Ph.D. Professor Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Program in Neuroscience Indiana University, Bloomington Bloomington, Indiana 47405 Host: PHTX Grad Students