Daryl L. Davies, Ph.D.
Research
Assistant Professor
Department
of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology
I am a neuropharmacologist. Current CURRICULUM VITAE. My
general research interests are in the area of neuropharmacology with a emphasis on the neurochemical mechanisms by which
clinically and socially used psychoactive drugs produce their behavioral
effects. I am also interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms
by which allosterically modulated events in ligand-gated ion channels in the
central nervous system are mediated. An example of a ligand-gated ion
channel is presented in the figure to the right. In this case I have depicted
an illustration of an ionotropic GABA-A receptor complex. The channel is
activated when the neurotransmitter, GABA (a naturally occurring amino acid in
the CNS) binds to the protein complex causing a conformational change in the
receptor which leads to the rapid opening of an intrinsic ion channel,
permitting negatively charged chloride ions to flow down their electrochemical
gradient. This action leads to hyperpolarization of the cell which causes a
decrease in neuronal signaling. Other agents such as benzodiazepines (e.g.,
Valium), barbiturates, neuroactive steroids and ethanol also act on GABA-A
receptors by allosterically enhancing the effects of GABA. My research goals
are to use pharmacological tools to integrate information from the behavioral
to the molecular levels of the organism in order to understand the mechanism of
action of psychoactive drugs, the underlying reason for neurological and
psychological disorders and, ultimately, to provide insight into how the how
human brain functions. Findings from my investigations have led to a
novel hypothesis which suggests possible site(s) of ethanol action in
ligand-gated ion channels of the central nervous system. I am the Director for
the Alcohol and Brain Research Laboratory,
Important
dates that I have to remember: August 8, September 20 and more recently, July 9
-- you try to guess why!
Current hobbies: Sailing, Scuba Diving and Bike Riding (the kind you pedal)--both road and mountain. I'm lucky, my wife enjoys these activities also.
We recently purchased a 2004 Dufour 40 sailboat. We are in the process of commissioning the boat, but sailing so far has been great! Go to Dufour Yachts USA to find out more about the Dufour 40 and other Dufour sailboats.
I am currently working on revising and improving
my WEB Page and I have started to build a WEB for the Alcohol
and Brain Research Lab. If
you are interested in learning more about the effects of alcohol on the brain,
visit the Alcohol and Brain Research Laboratory Web
Site.
Originally,
I used NotePad as my WEB page editor, but I am
now editing using MS Word. I hope
to soon learn Dreamweaver
instead. You may notice a few items that look a little funny or out of
place on this page, that is because I am still working on incorporating these
ideas onto the page! I am currently learning how to incorporate
forms onto the Web page. Click Here to
respond to my questionnaire -- although it doesn't make much sense yet!
Some Useful Sites:
Email questions or comments to Daryl. |
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This is my wife, Gayle and our daughter, Claire, wearing her birthday
dress. Claire was born on July 9, 2002.
