Center for Addiction Research

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.

Amanda grew up in Houma, Louisiana. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University in 2012, where she was honored with the Louisiana State University Chancellor's Future Leaders in Research award for 2008-2012, the Louisiana State University Medalist award for graduating with a 4.0 grade point average in 2012, and the Louisiana State University Distinguished Communicator Award in 2012. Amanda entered the UTMB M.D./Ph.D. Combined Degree Program in 2012, and she is conducting her Ph.D. dissertation research in the Neuroscience Graduate Program under the mentorship of Dr. Kathryn A. Cunningham. Amanda is a mentee of the NIDA T32 Training Program, and her research is focused on elucidating the cortical neurocircuitry of impulsivity and cocaine cue reactivity

• B.S., 2012, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• 2012, UTMB Minnie & Ward Savage Presidential Scholarship,
• 2014, UTMB Truman G. Blocker, Jr. Scholar Fellowship in Biomedical Research,
• 2014, Predoctoral Mentee, NIDA T32 Training Program (T32 DA007287),

Publications
Broussard, T.C., Kober, M.J., Pakhomova, S., Neau, D.B., Price, A.E., Champion, T.S., and Waldrop, G.W. (2013) The three-domensional structure of the biotin carboxylase-biotin carboxyl carrier protein complex of E. coli acetyl-CoA carbosylase. Structure 21(4):650-657.

Broussard, T.C., Price, A.E., Laborde, S.M., and Waldrop, G.L. (2013) Complex formation and regulation of Escherichia coli acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Biochemistry 52(19):3346-3357.

Dennis was born and raised in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cell Biology & Neuroscience from Rutgers University in 2015. During his time at Rutgers University, he was honored as a Ronald E. McNair scholar and participated in undergraduate research via the Aresty Research Center under the mentorship of Dr. Mark West. Dennis entered the Pharmacology & Toxicology Graduate Program at UTMB in 2015, and he is pursuing his Ph.D. under the mentorship of Dr. Kathryn Cunningham. His research interests encompass delineating neuron-subtype specific 5-HT2aR regulatory mechanisms that influence the corticostriatal neurocircuitry of impulsivity.

• B.A., 2015, Rutgers University

• 2015, Chauncey Leake Memorial Fellowship Award,
• 2015, Frances Adoue Lynch Addiction Research Fellowship Award,

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.