Amy Hauck Newman, Ph.D.
Branch Chief
Contact
Location:
Triad Technology Center
Rm 3444
333 Cassell Drive
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 667-312-5561
Email: anewman@intra.nida.nih.gov
Branch Overview
The Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch investigates behavioral, pharmacological and molecular mechanisms underlying the reinforcing and subjective effects of drugs, such as the opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine that lead to their abuse and dependence. Novel, small molecules are designed and synthesized as pharmacological tools to study neurochemical targets in the brain, and how actions at those targets are related to the behavioral effects of abused drugs. Current targets of interest are the dopamine and serotonin transporters, dopamine (D1, D2, D3), cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2) and a variety of heteromers that include these receptor systems and others. The analyses of in vitro and in vivo effects of target-selective compounds provides a relationship between mechanism and behavior that has led to the discovery of new leads for the development of pharmacological treatments for drug dependence and other CNS disorders.
