Membership

  • Core Faculty


    NameTitlePrimary Dept or ProgramResearch Interest
    John A. Allen, PhDAssistant ProfessorPHTOGPCRs, SUDs, and therapeutics discovery
    Noelle C. Anastasio, PhDAssociate ProfessorPHTOGlu in impulsivity, SUDs, and therapeutics discovery
    Irma E. Cisneros, PhDAssistant ProfessorPATHNeuroinflammation in SUDs
    Kathryn A. Cunningham, PhDProfessor & Director, CASTPHTOSUD risk vulnerability mechanisms, circuitry and therapeutics discovery
    Eliseo A. Eugenin, PhDProfessorNeurobiologyNeuroAIDS and substance use
    Benjamin B. GelmanProfessorPATHNeuroAIDS and substance use
    Georgiy Golovko, PhDAssistant ProfessorPHTOBioinformatics, computational, Health analytics
    Thomas A. GreenAssociate ProfessorPHTOEnvironmental enrichment and frustration in drug abuse
    Jonathan D. Hommel, PhDAssociate ProfessorPHTOMechanisms of SUDs, obesity, compulsivity
    David C. Houghton, PhDAssistant ProfessorPSYCHSUDs, opioids, chronic pain, compulsivity
    Yong-Fang Kuo, PhDProfessorSPPHEpidemiology, prediction models, opioid substitutes
    Fernanda Laezza, MD, PhDProfessorPHTOIon channels as drug discovery targets in SUDs
    Agenor Limon, DSCAssistant ProfessorNeurologyNeuronal excitation-inhibition imbalance
    Monique R. Pappadis, PhDAssociate ProfessofSPPHMinority health disparities in rehabilitation
    Gabrielle R. Rudenko, PhDProfessorPHTOSynaptic mechanisms and SUD target discovery
    Heido Spratt, PhDAssociate ProfessorSPPHBiostatistics, bioinformatics, machine learning
    Gracie Vargas, PhDProfessorNeurobiologyNeurocircuitry imaging in obesity and SUDs
    Denise M. Wilkes, MD, PhDProfessorANESTHOpioid prescription compliance devices/medical treatments
    Ping Wu, PhDProfessorNeurobiologySUDs and neural stem cells
    Jia Zhou, PhDProfessorPHTOMedicinal chemistry and drug discovery for SUDs
  • Associated Researchers


    • Senior


      NameTitleDept
      Ameredes, BillProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Anastasio, NoelleAssociate ProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Baillargeon, JacquesProfessorEpidemiology (SPPH)
      Bente, DennisAssociate ProfessorMicrobiology & Immunology
      Berenson, AbbeyProfessorObstetrics & Gynecology
      Bourne, NigelProfessorPediatric Vaccinology
      Chung, Jin-MoProfessor & ChairNeurobiology
      Cunningham, KathrynProfessor & Vice ChairPharmacology & Toxicology
      De la Garza, RichardAdjunct ProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Dineley, KellyProfessorNeurology 
      Elferink, CornelisProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Elferink, LisaProfessorNeurobiology
      Emmett, MarkProfessorPathology
      Endsley, JaniceProfessorMicrobiology & Immunology
      Eugenin, EliseoAssociate ProfessorNeurobiology
      Gelman, Benjamin ProfessorPathology
      Green, Thomas Associate ProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Hommel, JonathanAssociate ProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Huang, Li-YenProfessorNeurobiology
      Kaphalia, Bhupendra Professor Pathology
      Kuo, Yong-FangProfessor & ChairBiostatistics & Data Science (SPPH)
      Laezza, FernandaProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Menon, RamkumarProfessorObstetrics & Gynecology
      Motamedi, MassoudProfessorOpthalmology & Visual Sciences
      Nanovskaya, TatianaAssociate ProfessorObstetrics & Gynecology
      Paessler, SlobodanProfessorPathology
      Pappadis, MoniqueAssociate ProfessorPopulation Health & Health Disparities (SPPH)
      Pettitt, MonteProfessorBiochemistry & Molecular Bio; SCSB
      Pyles, RichardProfessorPediatric Vaccinology
      Resto, Vicente Professor & SVP & Chief Physician ExecBiochemistry & Molecular Biology
      Routh, AndrewAssociate ProfessorBiochemistry & Molecular Bio
      Rudenko, GabrielleProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Shi, Pei-YongAdjunct ProfessorBiochemistry & Molecular Bio
      Snodgrass, WayneProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Sowers, LawrenceProfessor & ChairPharmacology & Toxicology
      Spratt, HeidiAssociate ProfessorBiostatistics & Data Science (SPPH)
      Taglialatela, GiulioProfessorNeurology
      Temple, JeffreyProfessorSchool of Nursing
      Vargas, GracieProfessorNeurobiology
      Weaver, ScottProfessor & ChairMicrobiology & Immunology
      Wilkes, DeniseClinical ProfessorAnesthesiology
      Wu, PingProfessorNeurobiology
      Yin, Yuhui WhitneyAssociate ProfessorBiochemistry & Molecular Bio
      Zhang, KanglingAssociate ProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Zhou, JiaProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
    • Junior


      NameTitleDept
      Allen, JohnAssistant ProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Cisneros, IrmaAssistant ProfessorPathology
      Golovko, GeorgeAssistant ProfessorPharmacology & Toxicology
      Farr, MilesAssistant ProfessorInternal Medicine
      Harris-Haman, PamelaAssistant ProfessorSchool of Nursing
      Houghton, DavidAssistant ProfessorPsychiatry & Behav Sciences
      Khanipov, KamilAssistant Professor Pharmacology & Toxicology
      Nicanord, ErnstAssistant ProfessorFamily Medicine
      Prideaux, BrendanAssistant ProfessorNeurobiology
      Tian, BingAssistant ProfessorInternal Med-Endocrinology
      Tumilty, EmmaAssistant ProfessorBioethics & Humanities, SPPH
    • External


      NameTitleDeptUniversity
      Bjork, JamesProfessorPsychiatry & Behav SciencesVirginia Commonwealth University
      Gilbertson, Scott Professor & Associate ChairChemistryUniversity of Houston
      Ma, LiangsuoAssistant ProfessorPsychiatry & Behav SciencesVirginia Commonwealth University
      Moeller, F. Gerard Professor & Division ChairPsychiatry & Behav SciencesVirginia Commonwealth University
      Nilsson, CarolProfessorTranslational Cancer PharmacologyLund University
      Saade, GeorgeProfessor & Chair, Associate Dean for Women's HealthObstetrics & GynecologyEast Virginia University
    • Emeritus


      NameTitleDept
      Carlton, SusanProfessor EmeritusNeurobiology
      Cooper, CaryProfessor EmeritusPharmacology & Toxicology
      Fofanov, YuriyProfessor EmeritusPharmacology & Toxicology
      Gallagher, JoelProfessor EmeritusPharmacology & Toxicology
      Gallagher, PatriciaProfessor EmeritusPharmacology & Toxicology
      Hulsebosch, ClaireProfessor EmeritusNeurobiology
      Johnson, Kenneth Professor EmeritusPharmacology & Toxicology
      Thomas, MaryProfessor EmeritusPharmacology & Toxicology
      Watson,Cheryl Professor EmeritusBiochemistry & Molecular Bio
  • Students and Postdocs


    • Postdoctoral Fellows

      NameTitleDept
      Bolinger, AndrewPostdoctoral FellowCenter for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics
      Giacomini, JulianaPostdoctoral FellowCenter for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics
      Smith, HudsonPostdoctoral FellowCenter for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics
    • Predoctoral Students

      NameTitleDept
      Buchanan, KatherineGraduate AssistantBMB Grad Program
      Chapman, HollyGraduate AssistantHPTM Grad Program
      Gutierrez, HectorGraduate AssistantPHTO Grad Program
      Lee, HubertGraduate AssistantBMB Grad Program
      Luu, RossGraduate AssistantBMB Grad Program
      Miller, SierraGraduate AssistantHHPTM Grad Program
      Murphy, RyanGraduate AssistantPHTO Grad Program
      Salinsky, LeahGraduate AssistantPHTO Grad Program
      Vasquez, TileenaGraduate AssistantNeurosci Grad Program
      Zamora, JoshuaGraduate AssistantPHTO Grad Program

Contact Us

Center for Addiction Sciences and Therapeutics
Phone: (409) 772-3093
Email:  CAST@utmb.edu 
Mailing address:
301 University Boulevard
Galveston, TX 77555-0615


Last Updated: January 18, 2024 RMG