Aaron Janowsky
Research Career Scientist, VA Medical Center, Portland
Professor, Psychiatry, Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU
e-mail: janowsky@ohsu.edu
Major Areas
Neurotransmitter transporters, receptors
Previous Positions
Assistant Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, OHSU
Associate Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Physiology & Pharmacology, OHSU
Education
B.A. (1974) University of California at San Diego
Ph.D. (1982) Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Research Interests
My laboratory is involved in characterizing drug interactions with transporters for dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. A major goal is to identify potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson's disease, alcohol and drug abuse, depression and schizophrenia. Methods used include determining the effects of drugs on radioligand binding to, and on neurotransmitter uptake and release by, cells expressing cloned DNA for the respective human transporters. In addition, we are characterizing drug- and disease-induced changes in the specific receptor proteins, and examining polymorphisms potentially associated with schizophrenia and how those polymorphisms alter receptor function. This work involves the use of immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, western blotting and immunoprecipitation, in situ hybridization, and the consequences of receptor activation on signal transduction.
Selected Recent Publications
Wilhelm CJ, Johnson RA, Lysko PG, Eshleman AJ, Janowsky A. (2004) Effects of methamphetamine and lobeline on vesicular monoamine and dopamine transporter-mediated dopamine release in a cotransfected model system . J Pharmacol Exp Ther. Sep;310(3):1142-51. Epub 2004 Apr 21.
Shimazu S, Tsunekawa H, Yoneda F, Katsuki H, Akaike A, Janowsky A. (2003) Transporter-mediated actions of R-(-)-1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane. Eur J Pharmacol. Dec 15;482(1-3):9-16.
Skolnick P, Popik P, Janowsky A, Beer B, Lippa AS. (2003) "Broad spectrum" antidepressants: is more better for the treatment of depression? Life Sci. Nov 7;73(25):3175-9. Review.
Messamore E, Hoffman WF, Janowsky A. (2003) The niacin skin flush abnormality in schizophrenia: a quantitative dose-response study. Schizophr Res. Aug 1;62(3):251-8.
Fandrick K, Feng X, Janowsky A, Johnson R, Cashman JR (2003) Bivalent biogenic amine reuptake inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. Jul 7;13(13):2151-4.
Lu NZ, Eshleman AJ, Janowsky A, Bethea CL. (2003) Ovarian steroid regulation of serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) binding, distribution, and function in female macaques. Mol Psychiatry. Mar;8(3):353-60.
Skolnick P, Popik P, Janowsky A, Beer B, Lippa AS (2003) Antidepressant-like actions of DOV 21,947: a "triple" reuptake inhibitor. Eur J Pharmacol. Feb 14;461(2-3):99-104.
Feng X, Fandrick K, Johnson R, Janowsky A, Cashman JR (2003) Syntheses of 3-carbomethoxy-4-(aryl)piperidines and in vitro and in vivo pharmacological evaluation: identification of inhibitors of the human dopamine transporter. Bioorg Med Chem. Mar 6;11(5):775-80.
Loftis JM, Janowsky A (2003) The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR2B: localization, functional properties, regulation, and clinical implications. Pharmacol Ther. Jan;97(1):55-85. Review.
Loftis JM, Janowsky A (2002) Cocaine treatment- and withdrawal-induced alterations in the expression and serine phosphorylation of the NR1 NMDA receptor subunit. Psychopharmacology (Berl). Dec;164(4):349-59. Epub 2002 Sep 20.