Media Coverage

A new UB study shows that exposure to synthetic chemicals commonly found in insecticides and garden products may adversely affect melatonin receptor signaling, creating a higher risk for metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Rajendram Rajnarayanan, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology, was featured in an AAAS Science Update podcast about research he and UB colleagues did showing how they are using computational methods to study the long-term health effects of chemical pesticides on families.

A study by researchers in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology finds exercise, coupled with methamphetamine, may help recovery of those addicted to the drug and increase their odds of avoiding relapse. Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of pharmacology and toxicology, is senior author. Randall Hudson, PhD, research professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, is a co-author.

Along with his colleagues, Pablo M. Paez, PhD — assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and research scientist with the Hunter James Kelly Research Institute — has identified a critical step in myelination after birth that has significance for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

An article about a new study that found that exercise along with controlled intake of methamphetamine prior to withdrawal could be a powerful new tool to treat meth addiction quotes Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor and chair of pharmacology and toxicology, who said meth users live in a state akin to constant jet-lag.

Peter G. Bradford, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology and instructor of dental pharmacology, had comments published in the October 2016 issue of the ASDA News (American Student Dental Association News) on the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana and on establishing standards of how dental specialists must educate their patients about the complexities of cannabis use.

"It is the obligation of the dental specialist to educate patients even with potentially difficult subjects,” he said. “If a patient does speak of cannabis use, it is important that all dental professionals acknowledge in a non-judgmental manner that a patient has disclosed sensitive information about their life regarding the use of a controlled substance."

James R. Olson, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, is a co-investigator on a UB study to analyze the impact of emissions from the Tonawanda Coke plant on the health of workers and area residents.

An article about a new drug known as BU08028 that could eliminate the addictive qualities that make opioids so dangerous quotes Jun-Xu Li, MD, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology, who noted that, like buprenorphine, the drug binds to a specific opioid receptor, which gives it pain-killing qualities.

Articles reporting on UB research that found that a protein in the brain’s reward center, the nucleus accumbens, regulates the genes that help drive the craving for cocaine after a period of withdrawal, quotes David Dietz, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology.

Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, is interviewed about concerns that new guidelines in British Columbia for prescribing opioids could cause more chronic-pain patients to turn to street drugs for pain management.

An article about the opioid crisis, and the chronic-pain patients who need to use the drugs on a long-term basis in order to control their pain effectively, quotes Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology.

An article on an addiction and recovery website about the death of Prince and the stigma surrounding opioid dependence quotes Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology.

An essay by Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, looks at the death of Prince and what it reveals about how much we don’t understand about chronic pain management.

An opinion piece by Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, discusses how those who really need painkillers for chronic pain still should have access to them.

A new method developed by James R. Olson, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology, and Diana Aga allows scientists to analyze bromated flame retardants and their breakdown products simultaneously, shortening two weeks’ worth of testing into a few days.

Consumers should be wary of claims made by companies selling dietary supplements, which do not need approval or evaluation from the Food and Drug Administration. “The Food and Drug Administration does not have the authority to approve advertisements for dietary supplements. In contrast with drugs, the FDA cannot require that a dietary supplement do what it claims to do or even that the product is safe to use,” said Jerrold C. Winter, PhD, professor of pharmacology and toxicology. 

A study led by Fraser J. Sim, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology, found that solifenacin, a drug used to treat overactive bladder, may promote stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

A University at Buffalo team of researchers has been awarded a federal grant to explore how environmental chemicals that disrupt neuroendocrine circadian functions and hormone release may raise the risk of diabetes and other disorders. Researchers in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology — Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, and Rajendram Rajnarayanan, PhD — are the principal investigators.

Research by David Dietz, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology, has the potential to identify novel therapies for treating addiction to cocaine and other psychostimulants, for which no effective drug therapy exists.

Buffalo Business First named Margarita L. Dubocovich, PhD, senior associate dean for diversity and inclusion and SUNY Distinguished Professor of pharmacology and toxicology, in the publication’s inaugural IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity Awareness) Awards. The awards are presented to individuals and organizations that champion diversity and inclusion.