ANDREA
M. ALLAN, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Neurosciences
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Education
and Honors:
1975-1979, Fairfield Univ., Fairfield, CT. B.S. Psychology, 1980-1982 State
Univ. of New York, Binghamton, NY M.A. Psychobiology, 1982-1984 State Univ.
of New York, Binghamton, NY Ph.D. Psychobiology, 1984-1988 University of Colorado,
Denver CO Post doc Pharmacology, 1989-1993 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry,
Washington Univ. School of Medicine., Saint Louis, MO, 1993-present Assistant
Professor, Dept. of Neurosciences, UNMHSC, Alb., NM, 1977 Psi Chi National
Honor Society, 1979 American Statistics Award, 1982 Research Assistantship
Award, 1986 NIAAA Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1993 NIAAA Res.Career Development
Award, 1994 Regent Lectureship Teaching Award, Member Scientific Advisory Committee, Medical Student Research Committee, Research Society on Alcoholism, Society for Neurosciences, Faculty Advisor for National Association for the Advancement of Women in Science, UNM Faculty Mediator.
Research Interests:
Research in this laboratory focuses on the neurochemical mechanisms of learning and memory, substance abuse and neurotoxic effects of prenatal exposures (e.g., drugs, toxins). Within the area of drug abuse we are interested in how drug abuse is set up and the neural pathways associated with reward and impulse control. We are interested in evaluating the role that the HPA axis plays in many of these phenomenon. Clinically our research interest is in the areas of stress responding, depression, Post traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse, ADHD and autism. Our recent work investigates the role of developmental insults on epigenetic machinery and how these changes relate to behavior and biochemistry in the adult animal Techniques employed are basic and behavioral pharmacology, biochemistry, receptor measurements, second messenger singling pathways, enzymatic measurements, measurements of neurogenesis and inflammatory mediators, immunological techniques, molecular and Mendelian genetics.
Selected
Publications:
Harris,
R.A. and Allan, A.M.: Functional coupling of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors
to chloride channels in brain membranes. Science
228: 1108-1110, (1985).
Allan,
A.M. and Harris, R.A.: Neurochemical Studies in Genetic Differences in Alcohol
Action. 1991, In: The Genetic Basis of Alcohol Action pp. 105-152, Plenum
Press, New York.
Whatley,
V.J., Mihic, S.J., Allan, A.M., McQuilkin, S.J. and Harris, R.A. Gamma-aminobutyric
acidA receptor function is inhibited by microtubule depolymerization. J.
Biol. Chem., 269:19546-19552 (1994).
Cash,
D. and Allan, A.M.: Changes in channel kinetics following chronic exposure to
low dose chlordiazepoxide are reflective of tolerance. J.
Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 283, 704-71 (1997).
Engel,
S. Gaudet, L., Jackson, K., and Allan, A.M.: Effect of Inhilation Anesthetics
on the GABA A Receptor Complex. Animal
Laboratory Sciences, 46:425429, (1996).
Allan,
A.M., Weeber, E.J. Savage, D.D. and Caldwell, K.K. Effects of prenatal ethanol
exposure on phospholipase C- 1 and phospholipase A2 in hippocampus and medial
frontal cortex of adult rat offspring. Alcoholism:
Clinical and Experimental Research. 21:1534-1541, (1997).
Allan,
A.M., Wu, H., Paxton, L.L., Savage, D.D. Prenatal ethanol exposure alters the
modulation of the GABAa receptor-gated chloride ion channel in adult rat offspring.
J.
Pharmacol. Exp. Ther 284:250-257 (1998)
Perrone-Bizzozero,
N., Keidan, G., Eriqat, C., Savage, D.D. and Alan, A.M. Effect of prenatal ethanol
exposure on GAP-43 phosphorylation and protein kinase C activity in the rat
hippocampus. J.
Neurochem.
171:2104-2111
(1998)
Engel,
S.R., Lyons, C.R., and Allan, A.M. 5-HT3 receptor over-expression decreases
ethanol self administration in transgenic mice. Psychopharmacology
140:243-248 (1998)
Engel,
S.R. and Allan, A.M. 5HT3 receptor over-expression enhances ethanol sensitivity
in mice. Psychopharmacology,
144 144:411-415, 1999.
Sung,K-W,
Lovinger, D.M., Engel, S.R. and Allan, A.M. (2000) 5HT3 receptor function and
potentiation by alcohols in frontal cortex neurons from transgenic mice over-expressing
the receptor. Journal
of Neuropsychopharmacology. 39:2346-2351.
Savage,
D.D., Galindo, R., Queen, S.A., Paxton. L.L. and Allan, A.M. (2001) Characterization
of electrically evoked [3H]-D-aspartate release from hippocampal slices.
Neurochemistry
International. 38: 255-267
Choi IY, Allan AM, Cunningham LA. (2005) Moderate fetal alcohol exposure impairs the neurogenic response to an enriched environment in adult mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. Nov;29(11):2053-62.
Amber V. Metz, Chynoweth Julie and Allan, A M. (2006) “Influence of Genetic Background on Alcohol Drinking and Behavioral Phenotypes of 5-HT3 Receptor Over-Expressing Mice.” Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 84:120-127, 2006
Paz R. M.D., Barsness B., Martenson T., Tanner D. Ph.D. , and Allan A.M. Ph.D. (2006) “Behavioral teratogenicity induced by non-forced maternal nicotine consumption” Neuropsychopharmacolgy 2006 Mar 22; [Epub ahead of print]
