Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Track Faculty
Track Leader-David Davies, Ph.D.

Syed Ali, Ph.D.(Pharmacology and Toxicology, and National Center for Toxicological Research)
Neurotoxicology.
Sali@nctr.fda.gov

Elie D. Al-Chaer, M.S., Ph.D., J.D.(Pediatrics, and Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Neurobiology of visceral pain and functional gastrointestinal disorders.
ealchaer@uams.edu

K.J.S. ('Sunny') Anand , M.D., D.Phil.(Pediatrics, and Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Research focuses on mechanisms of cell death during critical periods for human or rodent brain development, including: a) NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity resulting from repetitive pain and b) enhanced naturally occurring neuronal apoptosis during early development due to maternal separation.
AnandSunny@uams.edu

Steven Barger, Ph.D.(Geriatrics, and Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Cell biology of Alzheimer's disease; transcriptional regulation in neurons.
bargerstevenw@uams.edu

Helen Benes, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Insect models (fruitflies, mosquitoes) to study molecular basis for regulated gene activity, in response to gender, nutrition, aging and oxidative stress, for insight into human reproductive development, diseases of aging, including cardiac ischemia.
beneshelen@uams.edu

Warren Bickel, Ph.D. (Psychiatry) Web profile
Neurobehavioral mechanisms of addiction and therapeutic processes underlying recovery from addiction.
wbickel@uams.edu

John F. Bowyer, Ph.D.(Pharmacology and Toxicology, and National Center for Toxicological Research)
Identification of gene expression changes as they relate to both neuronal damage and the subsequent repair mechanisms in brain regions histologically observed to be altered by either neurotoxic insults or strong pharmacological stimuli from chemical exposures.
john.bowyer@fda.hhs.gov

Alan Budney, Ph.D.(Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences) Web profile
Behavioral treatment of adolescent marijuana abuse and clinical significance of marijuana withdrawal
ajbudney@uams.edu

Jason Y. Chang, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Neuronal programmed cell death, neurotoxicity of cholesterol oxides
ChangJasonY@uams.edu

Amanda Charlesworth, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Molecular mechanisms that regulate mRNA translation in early development.
charlesworthamanda@uams.edu

Yuzhi Chen, Ph.D. (Geriatrics, and Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Protein degradation and signaling in Alzheimer's disease; stem cell development in neurodegeneration and cancer.
ChenYuzhi@uams.edu

Gwen V. Childs, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Neuroendocrine regulation of growth and reproduction.
ChildsGwenV@uams.edu

Lawrence E. Cornett, Ph.D.(Physiology and Biophysics) Web profile
Adrenergic receptors.
CornettLawrenceE@uams.edu

David L. Davies, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Pathogenesis of ethanol and trauma related brain damage.
DaviesDavidL@uams.edu

Gerald A. Dienel, Ph.D.(Neurology, and Physiology and Biophysics) Web profile
Brain metabolism.
GADienel@uams.edu

Paul D. Drew, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Neuroimmunology, with emphasis on multiple sclerosis.
drewpauld@uams.edu

Sherry Ferguson, Ph.D. (Pharmacology and Toxicology)
My research interests are in psychopharmacology, behavioral teratology, and behavioral toxicology. Using nonhuman primates, rodents, and minipigs as models for humans, my work focuses on behavioral endpoints after drug or toxicant exposure. More recently, I have begun a study at Arkansas Children's Hospital to assess behaviors of children..
sherry.ferguson@fda.hhs.gov

Edgar Garcia-Rill, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Disorders of the reticular activating system and sleep, schizophrenia, depression, PTSD, spinal cord injury.
garciarilledgar@uams.edu

Paul Gottschall, Ph.D.(Pharmacology and Toxicology) Web profile
Research in the laboratory investigates how changes in the structure of the extracellular matrix in the nervous system affects function.  Specifically, proteolytic cleavage of extracellular matrix proteins can markedly influence the behavior of neurons and glia, and, depending on the nature of these changes, impact neurological disease in a positive or negative manner.
pegottschall@uams.edu

Sue Griffin, Ph.D.(Geriatrics, and Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Our interest centers on the influence of neuroinflammatory cytokines, in particular interleukin-1, in the genesis and progression of neurodegenerative diseases such Alzheimer's disease, Dows syndrome, AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease.
GriffinSueT@uams.edu

Abdallah Hayar, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Role of synchronized bursting activity in olfactory bulb processing of sensory input.
abdallah@hayar.net

Cynthia (Cindy) J.M. Kane, Ph.D. (Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Regulation of glial-neuronal interactions in the CNS during normal and abnormal brain development.
KaneCynthiaJ@uams.edu

Kim E. Light, Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Sciences) Web profile
My research program is aimed at developing neuronal systems and the alterations to development that result subsequent to exposures to alcohol and other drugs. Our current approach involves immunofluorescence labeling of specific cellular structures, at various developmental times, followed by confocal microscopy analysis of structural neuronal features characteristic of normal developmental as well as specific drug-induced alterations.
LightKimE@uams.edu

Angus MacNicol, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Cell cycle control, gene expression, early vertebrate development, signal transduction.
macnicolangus@uams.ed

Melanie C. MacNicol, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Signal transduction and mRNA translation in neurons.
MacnicolMelanie@uams.eduu

Mark S. Mennemeier, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Neural mechanisms of neglect.
MSMennemeier@uams.edu

Robert Mrak, M.D., Ph.D.(Pathology, and Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Neuroinflammation: the role of glia and glial cytokines in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
mrakroberte@uams.edu

Bruce W. Newton, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Hormone and target regulation of sexually dimorphic nuclei; development of autonomic nervous system.
NewtonBruceW@uams.edu

Merle G. Paule, Ph.D. (Pharmacology and Toxicology, and National Center for Toxicological Research)
Neurotoxicology.
mpaule@nctr.fda.gov

Kevin D. Phelan, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Mechanisms underlying synaptic transmission between developing and adult neurons.
phelankevind@uams.edu

Paul L. Prather, Ph.D.(Pharmacology and Toxicology) Web profile
Opioid and cannabinoid receptor signaling mechanisms; cell biology and therapeutic drug development for neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
PratherPaulL@uams.edu

Terry J. Sims, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Development of the nervous system and neuronal-glial interactions.
SimsTerryJ@uams.edu

Robert D. Skinner, Ph.D.(Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences) Web profile
Spinal cord injury and locomotion pattern generators; midlatency auditory evoked potentials in human brain diseases and the startle response in an animal model.
SkinnerRobertD@uams.edu

William Slikker, Ph.D.(Pharmacology and Toxicology, and National Center for Toxicological Research)
Neurotoxicology.
WSlikker@uams.edu

Catherine Stanger, Ph.D.(Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences) Web profile
Dr. Stanger's interests include adolescent substance abuse, parenting interventions, and substance abusing families.  Her most recent NIDA-funded projects include developing and testing a behavioral family intervention for adolescent marijuana abuse and developing and testing a parenting intervention for substance abusing parents
cstanger@uams.edu

Galen R. Wenger, Ph.D.(Pharmacology and Toxicology) Web profile
My research interests are in the measurement of cognitive function in laboratory animals, the effects of drugs of abuse on cognitive function, and the effect of cognitive enhancers in a mouse model of Down syndrome.
WengerGalenR@uams.edu

William D. Wessinger, Ph.D.(Pharmacology and Toxicology) Web profile
My research interests are in the behavioral pharmacology of drug abuse and the mechanisms of drug dependence and addiction. We are currently conducting research to test antibody-based medications designed to stop or prevent methamphetamine self-administration and/or relapse to methamphetamine use.
wessingerwilliamd@uams.edu

Patricia Wight, Ph.D. (Physiology and Biophysics) Web profile
Developmental, cellular and molecular neurobiology; regulation of gene expression; proteomics.
pwight@uams.edu

Xuming Zhang, Ph.D.(Microbiology and Immunology) Web profile
To elucidate the mechanisms and regulation of coronavirus RNA synthesis, the molecular pathogenesis of coronavirus-induced neurodegenerative diseases, and virus-host cell interactions.
ZhangXuming@uams.edu

Fang Zheng, Ph.D. (Pharmacology, Interdisciplinary Toxicology) Web profile
Molecular and cellular mechanisms of excitotoxicity related to neurological disorders, with an emphasis on glutamate receptors.
zhengfang@uams.edu