Latest News:
Majumdar research highlighted by National Institute on Drug Abuse
April 04, 2023
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recently highlighted two papers featuring Susruta Majumdar, PhD, and his colleagues. The Chemistry and Pharmacology Branch of the Division of Neuroscience and Behavior highlighted these articles. This branch of NIDA supports research on all aspects of chemistry and pharmacology affected by addictive drugs.
The first paper “Structure-based design of bitopic ligands for the µ-opioid receptor” published in Nature on November 30, 2022. This research has identified a method for modifying the chemical properties of the opioid pain reliever, fentanyl, and altering how it binds to opioid receptors on nerve cells. This research offers potential avenues for the creation of safer opioid medications. The second paper “Insights into distinct signaling profiles of the µOR activated by diverse agonists” published in Nature Chemical Biology on November 21, 2022. This paper highlights the work of Susruta Majumdar, and his colleagues who examined the molecular differences between LFT and MP, and how they bind to MU opioid receptors.
Learn more here.
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Study targets kappa opioid receptor to develop more effective drugs for pain management
March 16, 2023
In a recent study published in Nature Communications on March 11, 2023, Amal El Daibani, PhD, and colleagues aimed to provide an alternative rational for pathway-selective ligand design to develop new pain managementdrugs that are more effective, less addictive, and have fewer side effects.
In this study “Molecular mechanism of biased signaling at the kappa opioid receptor,” researchers closely examined the κ-opioid receptor (KOR), a molecule in the body that can be targeted by drugs to help manage pain and itch without causing addiction.
Read the full story here.
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Sarah Bernhard Receives 2023 Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery
March 10, 2023
The PhRMA Foundation recently announced their 2023 award recipients in drug delivery and drug discovery. The awards include predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships, and faculty starter grants. Out of nearly 300 applicants, the Foundation awarded 18 researchers nearly $1.3 million.
Congratulations to Sarah Bernhard for receiving the 2023 Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery. Bernhard’s project was titled “Structure, Function and Pharmacology of Delta Opioid Receptor Bitopics.”
Learn more here.
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Majumdar Publishes Breakthrough Opioid Research in Nature
November 30, 2022
Groundbreaking research conducted by Susruta Majumdar, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and his colleagues, has identified a method for modifying the chemical properties of the opioid pain reliever, fentanyl, and altering how it binds to opioid receptors on nerve cells.
Through studies conducted in cell lines expressing the opioid receptor and in mice, the modified version of fentanyl was found to be an effective pain reliever with fewer significant side effects. The research, which was recently published in the journal Nature, offers potential avenues for the creation of safer opioid medications.
Read the full story here.
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Majumdar Featured in Nature Chemical Biology
November 29, 2022
New research recently published in Nature Chemical Biology is shining further light on the structure, mechanisms of action and efficacy of lofentanil (LFT). Derived from fentanyl, LFT is one of the most potent lethal opioids, and is derived from fentanyl and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MP), a derivative from alkaloids found in the kratom plant.
The paper highlights the work of Susruta Majumdar, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and his colleagues who examined the molecular differences between LFT and MP, and how they bind to MU opioid receptors.
Read the full story here.
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Elgendy and Hegazy Receive $3.1 Million NIH Grant to Support Chronic Pain Research
August 18, 2022
Bahaa Elgendy, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis and Lamees Hegazy, Ph.D., associate professor of computational and medicinal chemistry at UHSP, were the recent recipients of a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to support research focused on the treatment of inflammatory pain.
The five-year grant will allow Elgendy and Hegazy, and their research collaborators, to further investigate the role of the REV-ERB nuclear receptors as a viable target for the treatment of inflammatory pain. Elgendy and Hegazy will leverage the known physiological functions of REV-ERB in chronic inflammation and use a chemical biology approach to identify novel REV-ERV ligands with superior pharmacological profiles, with the goal of advancing the potential therapy to clinical trials.
Read the full story here.
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Al-Hasani Uncovers New Avenues to Treat Pain and Addiction
June 3, 2022
In 2017, Ream Al-Hasani, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical science at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and assistant professor of anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, was recruited as one of the first researchers at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology. Since then, Al-Hasani and her center collaborators from the Department of Anesthesiology at the School of Medicine have been conducting groundbreaking research on the neurological effects of addiction and the brain's response to pain or stress.
With much of her research focused on the kappa opioid receptor system and its potential to serve as a promising target for the non-addictive management of neuropsychiatric conditions, including pain, Al-Hasani has been engaged in a number of innovative projects, including her work to create new methods for measuring opioid peptides in living systems. Her efforts have resulted in the development of a reliable and reproducible process to allow other research labs to implement and benefit from this technique.
Read the full story here.
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Pradhan Named Director of the Center for Clinical Pharmacology
May 18, 2022
Amynah Pradhan, Ph.D., an award-winning neuroscientist, has been appointed director of the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, effective Sept. 1, 2022. Pradhan joins the center from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she was faculty since 2013 and associate professor with tenure since 2019. At UIC, Pradhan also served as Director of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience since 2019.
As center director, Pradhan will lead the strategic planning efforts for all research growth and development, provide mentorship for trainees and faculty, foster a diverse and inclusive environment to stimulate new and exciting research endeavors, and continue to grow inter-institutional partnerships and collaborations as well as national recognition for the center.
Read the full story here.
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Hegazy Receives $580,000 NIH Grant to Support Diabetes Research
April 20, 2022
Lamees Hegazy, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, was the recent recipient of a three-year, $581,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Hegazy will utilize the grant funding to further her research efforts to target the estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα) with the goal of identifying novel antidiabetic agents.
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently estimating that nearly 37.3 million people in America have diabetes, the chronic health condition is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and it currently has no cure.
Read the full story here.
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Al-Hasani Awarded $2.1 Million NIH Grant
April 20, 2022
Ream Al-Hasani, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical science at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, was the recent recipient of a five-year, $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further her research on cold pain hypersensitivity.
Al-Hasani and her research team at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology have been studying the issue of cold hypersensitivity for several years. Utilizing their newly acquired NIH grant, the team will further examine the role of the kappa opioid system in cold hypersensitivity and cold pain.
Read the full story here.
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Elgendy Publishes Article in Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Perspective Series
December 18, 2021
Bahaa Elgendy, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, was the lead author of a recent article featured in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry’s Perspective series. The series provides a forum for recognized research experts to review and provide their input on active areas of research.
Elgendy worked to develop the article alongside Yuanying Fang, Ph.D., associate professor at the Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and former postdoctoral research associate in the Elgendy lab at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology; Lamees Hegazy, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at UHSP and Brian N. Finck, Ph.D., professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The article focused on the Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), which is an important regulator of bile acid, lipid, amino acid, glucose homeostasis, hepatic inflammation, regeneration and fibrosis.
Read the full story here.
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Billon Selected to Serve with NIH Center for Scientific Review Study Section
December 16, 2021
Cyrielle Billon, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, has been chosen to serve on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review’s Cell Signaling and Molecular Endocrinology (CSME) study section.
In her new role with the CSME study section, Billon will review NIH grant proposals focused on addressing molecular and cellular aspects of endocrine organs and their products in normal and pathological states. Areas covered in the proposals include structural and molecular studies, receptor-mediated cell signaling mechanisms of hormones, growth factors, polypeptides and lipid-based ligands, and regulation of gene expression.
Billon represents one of just 20 individuals chosen to review grant applications as part of the CSME study section.
Read the full story here.
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Chakraborty Publishes Kratom Research in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
December 10, 2021
Two articles featuring breakthrough kratom-related research conducted by Soumen Chakraborty, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate in the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, were published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry this fall.
For the past three years, Chakraborty has been working in the laboratory of Susruta Majumdar, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, to investigate the mechanisms of action of kratom and their potential to serve as safer pain relief agents.
Through his latest work, Chakraborty and his colleagues have been focused on identifying metabolites of kratom alkaloids, which mediate its pain relieving actions. The team has also been working to identify newer analogs through the diversification of kratom’s major active alkaloid, mitragynine.
Chakraborty’s new research indicates that the metabolism of mitragynine in mice leads to the formation of a potent mu opioid receptor agonist capable of treating severe acute pain without the negative side effects associated with traditional opioid pain relievers.
Read the full story here.
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Scientists Develop Wireless-Networks that Allow Brain Circuits to Be Studied Remotely using the Internet
November 25, 2021
In a recent study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering on November 25, 2021, Jordan McCall, PhD, MPH, alongside Jae-Woong Jeong, PhD, at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), and Sangtae Ha, PhD, at the University of Colorado, Boulder, have developed a method to remotely control brain circuits in multiple animals simultaneously and independently.
By creating a wireless network utilizing implantable devices and equipment integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) technology, scientists have enabled leading-edge, large-scale neuroscience experiments that can study the brains of animals from almost anywhere outside of the lab. The low-cost setup of this system means it can be easily adopted by other labs due to its minimalistic hardware, ease of use, and customizability. Scientists will be able to implement this technology in their existing laboratories with minimal budget concerns to achieve remote access and automate experiments where having a human present could affect the outcomes of the study.
Read the full story here.
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Majumdar Receives $2 Million in Grant Funds to Support Research on Safer Analgesics
November 9, 2021
Susruta Majumdar, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, has been awarded $2 million in grants to further his work to target opioid and non-opioid receptors with the goal of creating safer analgesics for pain relief.
The funding includes a two-year grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) initiative, which was created to bolster research across NIH to improve treatments for opioid misuse and addiction, and enhance pain management. Majumdar will use the NIH HEAL funding to examine the effectiveness of repurposing cannabinoids to provide neuropathic pain relief without the side effects associated with classical cannabinoid and opioid receptor modulators.
Read the full story here.
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Conway Receives Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award
September 30, 2021
Sineadh Conway, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology in the Al-Hasani Lab, was a recipient of the Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The selective postdoctoral training grant is presented annually to postdoctoral candidates with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in scientific health-related research fields relevant to the missions of various NIH Institutes and Centers.
Conway was awarded a three-year grant from the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse to further her work to develop technology to monitor opioid peptides in vivo, and study the interaction between the neuropeptide dynorphin and the neurotransmitter dopamine during fentanyl exposure.
Read the full story here.
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Al-Hasani Research Featured in Nature Neuroscience
September 17, 2021
Breakthrough research from Ream Al-Hasani, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical science at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, and her research team at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, has identified a new pathway in the brain that may contribute to more effective treatments for drug addiction and depression.
This discovery builds on Al-Hasani’s previous research, which focused on reward processing and identifying the reward processing functions within the sub-regions of the nucleus accumbens region of the brain.
Through her current research, recently published in Nature Neuroscience, Al-Hasani and her team have uncovered a new role in reward processing for the neurotransmitter, GABA, which projects from the ventral tegmental area of the brain to the ventral nucleus accumbens shell.
Read the full story here.
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UHSP Researchers Publish Kratom Research in ACS Chemical Neuroscience
September 4, 2021
Soumen Chakraborty, postdoctoral research associate in the Majumdar labs in the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, was the lead author of a paper recently published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience, which highlighted his research team’s efforts to isolate new, less prevalent alkaloids from the plant kratom.
Kratom contains numerous natural alkaloids, which can be leveraged to create pain management therapeutics that are less addictive and as effective as opioids. To date, researchers have uncovered 54 alkaloids that are present in kratom, all with therapeutic potential.
Read the full story here.
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Center welcomes fifth graduate student from the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Washington University
July 20, 2021
Sarah Bernhard
Second-year, Neuroscience program; Che & Majumdar Labs
Sarah has recently joined the labs of Drs. Tao Che and Susruta Majumdar. Her background is in mouse behavioral assay development, but she wishes to switch gears towards drug discovery. She is specifically interested in understanding drug-receptor interaction and the role of signaling transducers. Sarah is excited to join Che and Majumdar’s labs because of their strong collaboration, innovative research, and mentorship style.
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A Fond Farewell: John A. Pieper, Pharm.D., FCCP, FAPhA, FFIP
June 28, 2021
In April 2020, Dr. Pieper, president and professor of University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, announced he would retire in June 2021, following 11 years as president of the University and a 41-year career in academic pharmacy.
Through his innovative ideas, the University propelled to new heights and aspirations. As this decade-long chapter nears its end, and we prepare to say goodbye, we marvel at the collective accomplishments of our University community and the vision and leadership that brought us here.
As the University’s fourth president, John A. Pieper came in as a force for change and innovation, and his lasting impact will forever be remembered.
Click here to read more.
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Dr. Tom Burris Ranked Among Top 150 Pharmacologists Worldwide in 2020 Highly Cited Researchers List
June 2, 2021
Dr. Burris, Alumni Chair in Pharmaceutical Education and vice president for research at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, was ranked among the top 150 pharmacologists in the world in the recently released 2020 Highly Cited Researchers List published by Clarivate, a global company dedicated to providing trusted information and insights to accelerate the lifecycle of innovation.
Compiled annually, the list identifies researchers worldwide who have demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the past decade. Names are chosen from publications that rank in the top 1% of citations for field and publication year in Clarivate’s Web of Science citation index.
Read the full story here.
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Dr. Manish Kumar Madasu Presented with Toni Shippenberg Young Investigator Award at KappaCon 2021
May 18, 2021
Manish Kumar Madasu, Ph.D., postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, was the recent recipient of the Toni Shippenberg Young Investigator Award during the KappaCon 2021 Kappa Therapeutics Conference, which was held virtually in early April.
Created in recognition of kappa opioid researcher, Toni Shippenberg, the award is given every two years to students or postdoctoral researchers presenting the best talks or posters during the conference. Madasu was recognized for his presentation titled, “Peripheral Kappa Opioid Receptor Activation Drives Cold Hypersensitivity in Mice.”
The presentation highlighted Madasu’s recent work to investigate the role of the peripheral kappa opioid receptor system in cold hypersensitivity and cold pain. Madasu has been conducting his research under the mentorship of Ream Al-Hasani, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical science at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) and other members of her research team.
Read more here.
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Drs. Majumdar and Che Featured in eLife: "Controlling opioid receptor functional selectivity by targeting distinct subpockets of the orthosteric site"
March 31, 2021
The paper highlights a newly discovered molecule with the potential to provide analgesic pain relief with fewer side effects and less addictive properties than opioids. Majumdar and Che’s research team has been studying the molecule to determine its orientation and how it binds to opioid receptors.
The project is a result of ongoing research work in the Che lab aimed at comprehensively characterizing and dissecting the molecular mechanisms of opioid receptor signaling.
Access the manuscript here: https://elifesciences.org/articles/56519
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David D. Allen Named Next President of University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
February 25, 2021
On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis Board of Trustees marked an important moment in the University’s history with the announcement of its fifth president. David D. Allen, R.Ph., Ph.D., FASHP, FNAP, FAPhA, will serve as the University’s next president, with his tenure beginning on July 1, 2021.
Allen will succeed John A. Pieper, Pharm.D., FCCP, FAPhA, FFIP, who has served as the University's president since August 1, 2010. Pieper announced his retirement in April 2020 and will continue to serve as president until June 30, 2021.
Click here to read more.