CHERYL S. WATSON, Ph.D. Professor Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biochemistry Phone: (409) 772-2382 Fax: (409) 772-2382 Email: cswatson@utmb.edu

 Interests:

The vulnerability to cocaine and amphetamine addiction, and recovery from addiction, are different in women than men. The mechanisms underlying hormonal exacerbation of, or protection from, diseases affected by estrogenic hormones are generally not understood sufficiently to provide adequate diagnoses and tailored treatments. At different life stages (puberty, phases of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, peri/postpartum, and peri-/post-menopause) ovaries and other tissues generate very distinct levels of different estrogen metabolites. Fluctuations in the levels of these hormones, coupled with both rapid and chronic responses to them, could well contribute to variations in addictive drug responses. In addition, we are exposed to multiple types of exogenous estrogens (environmental, dietary) which might also affect these cellular regulatory mechanisms for neurotransmission associated with drug addiction.

 The Watson lab studies fundamental signaling mechanisms for estrogens and other steroids; these actions are relevant to processes in many different tissues, cell types, and life-stages. Our particular interests in drug addiction center around estrogenic effects on dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission. We study the effects of estrogens on receptors and transporters for these neurotransmitters; these proteins are important parts of the response machinery for drugs of abuse that can be regulated by hormones. We also study transporter and neurotransmitter receptor polymorphisms that may make some individuals more vulnerable to addictive drugs, or may influence the therapeutic effect of treatment drugs for addicts. If estrogens regulate this machinery of addictive drug actions, then women will need different treatment strategies to help prevent or control their addictions. We hope that our research will help decipher the rules for hormonal states that change addiction responses.  

Other aspects of our research on steroid actions can be seen at http://cellbio.utmb.edu/watson/watson.htm .