Cunningham LaboratoryAbout » Laboratories

Bob is a Senior Research Associate in Dr. Kathryn Cunningham's laboratory in the Center for Addiction Research, where he utilizes preclinical models of addiction to evaluate candidate medications to suppress relapse. As a long term member of the lab, Bob provides insight in multiple levels of research design, conduct, analysis and interpretation

• B.S., 1993, University of Houston - Clear Lake, Houston, Texas

Publications
B.A. Nic Dhonnchadha, R.G. Fox, S.J. Stutz, K.C. Rice, K.A. Cunningham. Blockade of the 5-HT2A receptor suppresses cue-evoked reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in a rat self-administration model. Behavioral Neuroscience. 2009 Apr;123(2):382-96. PMCID: PMC3830454.

K.A. Cunningham, R.G. Fox, N.C. Anastasio, M.J. Bubar, F.G. Moeller, S.R. Gilbertson, S. Rosenzweig-Lipson. Selective serotonin 5-HT(2C) receptor activation suppresses the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine and sucrose but differentially affects the incentive-salience value of cocaie- vs. sucrose-associated cues. Neuropharmacology. 2011 Sep:61(3):513-23.

K.A. Cunningham, N.C. Anastasio, R.G. Fox, S.J. Stutz, M.J. Bubar, S.E. Swinford, C.S. Watson, S.R. Gilbertson, K.C. Rice, S. Rosenzweig-Lipson, F.G. Moeller. Synergism between a serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor antagonist and 5-HT_2C receptor agonist suggests new pharmacotherapeutics for cocaine addiction. ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 2013 Jan 16;4(1):110-21. PMCID: PMC3547488.

Anastasio NC, Liu S, Maili L, Swinford SE, Lane SD, Fox RG, Hamon SC, Nielsen DA, Cunningham KA, Moeller FG. Variation within the serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT_2C receptor system aligns with vulnerability to cocaine cue reactivity. Transl Psychiatry. 2014 Mar 11;4:e369. doi:10.1038/tp.2013.131.PMID:24618688.

N.C. Anastasio, E.C. Stoffel, R.G. Fox, M.J. Bubar, K.C. Rice, F.G. Moeller, K.A. Cunningham. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) 5-HT(2A) receptor: association with inherent and cocaine-evoked behavioral disinhibition in rats. Beharioural Pharmacology. 2011 Jun;22(3):248-61.

D.A. Nielsen, W. Huang, S.C. Harmon, L. Maili, B.M. Witkin, R.G. Fox, K.A. Cunningham, F.G. Moeller. Forced abstinence from cocaine self-administration is associated with DNA methylation changes in myelin genes in the corpus callosum: a preliminary study. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2012;3:60.

N.C. Anastasio S.R. Gilbertson, M.J. Bubar, A. Agarkov, S.J. Stutz, Y. Jeng, N.M. Bremer, T.D. Smith, R.G. Fox, S.E. Swinford, P.K. Seitz, M.N. Charendoff, J.W. Craft Jr., F.M. Laezza, C.S. Watson, J.M. Briggs, K.A. Cunningham. Peptide Inhibitors Disrupt the Serotonin 5-HT2C Receptor Interaction with Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog to Allosterically Modulate Cellular Signaling and Behavior. Journal of Neuroscience. 2013 Jan 23;33(4):1615-30.

N.C. Anastasio, S.J. Stutz, R.G. Fox, R.M. Sears, R.B. Emeson, R.J. DiLeone, R.T. O'Neil, L.H. Fink, D. Li, T.A. Green, F.G. Moeller, and K.A. Cunningham. Functional Status of the Serotonin 2C Receptor (5-HT_2CR) Drives Interlocked Phenotypes that Precipitate Relapse-Like Behaviors in Cocaine Dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2014 Jan;39(2):370-82. doi:10/1038/npp.2013.199. PMID:23939424.

Leah Salinsky graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's of Science in Neuroscience with minors in Sociology and Forensic Science in 2019. Following graduation, Leah spent 8 months at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology as a research technician in the laboratory of Dr. John Tainer where she focused on the ASCC1 protein complex in various cancers under the mentorship of Dr. Roopa Thapar. At UTMB, Leah is a member of the Cunningham laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Kathryn Cunningham in the Center of Addiction Research. Her research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of various psychedelic compounds and their potential towards becoming therapeutics for substance use disorders. Leah is involved in the UTMB Student Government Association, the Pharmacology and Toxicology Student Association, as well as the Jewish Student Association at UTMB. She spends her free time reading fantasy books and rock climbing around Texas. 

Education

B.S. University of Texas, Austin, TX

Jacqueline grew up in a small-town called Pearl River, Louisiana. She then received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 2016 from the University of New Orleans where she conducted molecular dynamic simulations that led to two peer reviewed publications. Following graduation, Jacqueline participated in the Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program at the University of Washington in Seattle under Dr. Denise Galloway elucidating mechanisms of human papilloma virus (HPV16) neutralizing antibodies. Jacqueline joined the Pharmacology and Toxicology graduate program at UTMB in 2019 and joined Dr. Kathryn Cunningham’s lab in 2020. Her current research is elucidating epigenetic mechanisms underlying substance use disorders. She currently serves as an officer for both the Society for Neuroscience-Galveston Chapter and the Pharmacology and Toxicology Student Organization. 

Education

B.S. University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA

Sonja works for Dr. Kathryn Cunningham in the Center for Addiction Research. As Research Project Manger, she is responsible for facilitating and coordinating the use of the Rodent In Vivo Assessment Core. In addition to her role as core manager, Sonja assists with multiple behavioral and immunohistological projects in Dr. Cunningham's laboratory.

• B.S., 2004, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

Publications
Anastasio NC, Stutz SJ, Fox RG, Sears RM, Emeson RB, DiLeone RJ, O'Neil RT, Fink LH, Li D, Green TA, Moeller FG and Cunningham KA (2014) Functional status of the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor (5-HT2CR) drives interlocked phenotypes that precipitate relapse-like behaviors in cocaine dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 39(2):370-82.

Anastasio NC, Gilbertson SR, Bubar MJ, Seitz PK, Agarkov A, Jeng Y, Bremer NM, Smith TD, Stutz SJ, Fox RG, Charendoff MN, Craft JW, Watson CS, Briggs JM and Cunningham KA (2013) Peptide inhibitors disrupt the serotonin 5-HT_2C receptor interaction with phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) to allosterically modulate cellular signaling and behavior. Journal of Neuroscience 33(4):1615-30.

Yan J, Mei FC, Cheng H, Lao DH, Hu Y, Wei J, Patrikeev I, Hao D, Stutz SJ, Dineley KT, Motamedi M, Hommel JD, Cunningham KA, Chen J and Cheng X (2013) Enhanced leptin sensitivity reduced adiposity and improved glucose homeostatsis in mice lackin exchange protein directly activated by cyclic AMP isoform 1. Mol Cell Biol 33(5):918-26.

Cunningham KA, Anastasio NC, Fox RG, Stutz SJ, Bubar MJ, Swinford SE, Watson CS, Gilbertson SR, Rice KC, Rosenweig-Lipson S and Moeller FG (2012) Synergism between a serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor (5-HT_2AR) antagonist and 5-HT_2CR agonist suggests new pharmacotherapeutics for cocaine addiction. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 4(1):110-21.

Bubar MJ, Stutz SJ and Cunningham KA (2011) 5-HT2C Receptors localize to dopamine and GABA neurons in the rat mesoaccumbens pathway. PLoS ONE 6(6):e20508.

Cunningham KA, Fox RG, Anastasio NC, Bubar MJ, Stutz SJ, Moeller FG, Gilberson SR and Rosenweig-Lipson S (2011) Selective serotonin 5-HT_2C receptor activation suppresses the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine and sucrose but differentially affects the incentive-salience of cocaine- vs. sucrose-associated cues. Neuropharmacology 61(3):513-23.

Anastasio NC, Lanfranco MF, Bubar MJ, Seitz PK, Stutz SJ, McGinnis AG, Watson CS and Cunningham KA (2010) Serotonin (5-HT) 2C receptor (5-HT_2CR) protein expression is enriched in synaptosomal and postsynaptic compartments of rat cortex. Journal of Neurochemistry 113(6):1504-1515.

NicDhonnachadha BA, Fox RG, Stutz SJ, Rice KC and Cunningham KA (2009) Blockade of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor suppresses cue-evoked reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in a rat self-administration model. Behav Neurosci 123(2):382-96.

Sell SL, Craft SM, Seitz PK, Stutz SJ, Cunningham KA and Thomas ML (2008) Estradiol-sertraine synergy in ovariectomized rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 33(8):1051-60.

Shank EJ, Seitz PK, Stutz SJ and Cunningham KA (2007) Selective ablation of GABA neurons in the ventral tegmental area increases spontaneous locomotor activity. Behavioral Neuroscience 121:1224-1233.

Canal CE, Stutz SJ and Gold PE (2005) Glucose injections into the dorsal hippocampus or dorsolateral striatum of rats prior to T-maze training: modulation of learning rates and strategy selection. Learn Mem. 12(4):367-74.

Joshua grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Neurobiology from The University of Texas at Austin in 2015. During his time at UT, Joshua investigated gene-ethanol interactions that underlie craniofacial defects in a zebrafish model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder under the mentorship of Dr. Johann Eberhart. Following graduation, Joshua worked as a research assistant in the laboratory of Drs. William Clarke and Kelly Berg at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Here, he characterized the mechanisms of action of several kappa opioid receptor and mu opioid receptor ligands. Joshua joined the Pharmacology and Toxicology graduate program at UTMB in 2019 and is conducting his dissertation studies in the laboratory of Dr. Kathryn Cunningham. His research focus is on discerning the biochemical and pharmacological properties of a novel 5-HT_2A:5-HT_2C receptor heteromer.

B.S. University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX