Curricula Vitae in Pharm., Physiology & Neuroscience

Name	Personal Focus	Summary
Joanna Appel Clinical Assistant Professor		Joanna Appel is a Medical Educator in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neurology, School of Medicine Columbia.
Dr. Jim Fadel Professor	Neuroscience	Our interests are diverse but may be broadly grouped into the following categories. We combine anatomical, neurochemical, behavioral and molecular approaches to these studies: 1. The neural basis for age-related changes in cognitive and homeostatic function. 2. Anatomical and neurochemical substrates of stress and anxiety. 3. HIV effects on CNS function.
Daniel Foster Assistant Professor	understanding how neurotransmission is regulated	Daniel Foster, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience in the School of Medicine Columbia.
Dr. Norma Frizzell, PhD Associate Professor	Diabetes, Mitochondrial Diseases	Our laboratory is interested in a recently discovered post-translational modification of proteins known as S-(2-succino)cysteine (2SC), also termed protein succination. Protein succination occurs when fumarate (from the Krebs cycle) reacts with cysteines to form the irreversible modification 2SC. While we have studied this modification extensively in the adipocyte during diabetes, we are also interested in other conditions which lead to increased fumarate.
Dr. Claudia Alejandra Grillo, PhD Research Associate Professor	Effects of metabolic diseases on the central nervous system, Extrahypothalamic regulation of the food intake	Claudia Grillo, Ph.D. is a Research Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, School of Medicine Columbia.
Fiona Hollis Assistant Professor	precise role of brain mitochondrial function on behavior and overall health, explore the potential for “neural metabolic programming” across various developmental time points, examine how mitochondrial function in various brain regions and the periphery	Our laboratory aims to fully delineate the role of brain metabolism in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diseases. We use rodent and human models to identify and characterize the role of brain energy metabolism in neurological disorders at both the behavioral, cellular, and molecular level. To this end, our research employs a wide range of techniques, including animal behavior, high resolution respirometry, pharmacology, and molecular biology.
Aaron Michael Jasnow Associate Professor	Neural circuits of generalized fear memory, Neuroendocrine regulation of generalized fear, Cortical and amygdala integration in the nucleus accumbens controlling fear extinction	Aaron Jasnow, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, School of Medicine Columbia.
Kevin LeBlanc Clinical Associate Professor		Dr. Kevin LeBlanc began as Program Director at the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine in the spring of 2017. Previous to his current role Dr. LeBlanc was with the nurse anesthesia program from 2009-2013 in a variety of roles which included clinical coordinator and assistant program director. Dr. LeBlanc practices at Palmetto Health Richland specializing in cardiovascular anesthesia and served as assistant chief anesthetist for several years before returning to the university.
Mr. Richard McCain, Jr. Instructor		Richard Sterling McCain, Jr. is an Instructional Faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences. Richard investigated altered metabolite production and regulation of microglial and macrophage function in the NDUFS4 KO mouse model of Leigh Syndrome.
Dr. Joseph Aloysius McQuail Assistant Professor	How does chronic stress influence risk for memory loss and disease in aging?, Can diet build neural resilience and cognitive reserve against aging and stress?, Can we optimize existing pharmacotherapies for treatment of age- and stress-related impairments?	The unifying goal of research in our laboratory is to understand how fundamental processes affiliated with neural aging interact with environmental, health and physiological factors to precipitate memory loss and increase susceptibility to related neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Sheena Morris Clinical Assistant Professor		Sheena Morris is a Clinical Associate Professor at University of South Carolina School of Medicine.
Dr. David D. Mott Associate Professor	Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Brain mechanisms underlying behavior	David D. Mott, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience in the School of Medicine, Columbia. Research in the laboratory is directed toward understanding brain mechanisms that underlie behavior and how changes in these mechanisms can contribute to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Through this work we seek to develop targets for novel therapeutics.
Dr. Gerardo Piroli Research Assistant Professor	Neuroscience, Protein Biochemistry, Mitochondrial Diseases	Gerardo G. Piroli, Ph.D. is a Research Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, School of Medicine Columbia.
Dr. Ana Pocivavsek Assistant Professor	Role of kynurenic acid (KYNA) in cognition, Kynurenic acid (KYNA) as a molecular link between sleep and cognition, unravel common molecular mechanisms between sleep disturbances and cognitive impairments	Ana Pocivavsek earned a B.S in Psychology from Duke University. She earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University. Her Postdoctoral: Department of Psychiatry, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center is from University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Sujit Pujhari Research Assistant Professor	Engineer and develop AAV and lentivirus vectors for neuroscience and infectious disease research, Develop & establish human brain organoid to study the molecular mechanisms of psychiatric disorders, Develop Virus Reporter Particles & diagnostic ELISAs to fight emerging & re-emerging viral diseases	Sujit Pujhari, Ph.D. is a Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience Research Assistant Professor and Director of Viral Vector Core in the School of Medicine Columbia.
Dr. Lawrence P. Reagan Professor	Neuroplasticity, Mood disorders, Impact of diabetes in the brain	My laboratory is interested in determining the underlying structural, neurochemical and functional changes that are produced by stress in the hippocampus in order to achieve a greater understanding of how these alterations may contribute to the development of cognitive impairments in a variety of clinical situations, including recurrent depressive illness.
Michael James Ryan Research Professor	Chronic inflammation and immune system dysfunction	Michael J. Ryan, Ph.D. is an Associate Chief of Staff - Research - Columbia VA Health Care System and Professor, Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neurology, School of Medicine Columbia.
Dr. Jefferson Krawulski Souza Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Lee Britt Wilson Clinical Professor	Neural regulation of cardiovascular function	The primary aim of this laboratory is to better understand the neural regulation of cardiovascular function and how this regulation may change in pathologic states. Specifically, we focus on the spinal cord processing related to reflex cardiovascular control from somatic (skin, skeletal muscle, and joints) tissue, and how this reflex cardiovascular control can be altered by tissue inflammation and/or injury.
Dr. Marlene A Wilson Department Chair/Professor	Neurobiology of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders	Our lab investigates the neurochemical underpinnings of anxiety-related and seizure disorders. A major focus is the role of neuropeptides and the amygdala in anxiety-related behaviors and the actions of anxiety-reducing modalities such as the Valium-like benzodiazepines, alcohol and exercise. Of particular interest is the role of the opioid morphine-like peptide enkephalin & neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the anxiety-reducing aspects of these drugs.
Richard P. Wilson Clinical Assistant Professor	Nurse Anesthesia	Mr. Wilson graduated from the University Of South Carolina School Of Medicine in 2006 with a Masters in Nurse Anesthesia degree. After graduation, he worked at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, SC for a short period of time before moving to Greenville, SC where he started practicing at Greenville Health System. Mr. Wilson accepted the Clinical Student Coordinator role at the Greenville Health System in October 2006.
Susan K Wood, PhD Associate Professor	Cytokines in monoaminergic nuclei regulating susceptibility to social defeat, Identifying the neuroinflammatory pathways driving increased stress susceptibility in females, Estrogen-mediated mechanisms of stress susceptibility	Susan Wood, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, School of Medicine Columbia.