The research in my laboratory focuses on the process of neural adaptation in response to ingestion of addictive substances, and, in particular, alcohol. The techniques of molecular pharmacology are used to examine neuronal signal transduction mechanisms and second messenger systems, as well as to study excitatory amino acid receptors that are coupled to ion channels. In particular, studies focus on the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptor which we have shown to be intimately involved in physical dependence on alcohol and on adenylyl cyclase systems which are postulated to predispose individuals to development of alcoholism. Research is performed using cells in culture, animal models including null-mutant and transgenic mice and human subjects.

Education / Experience

Educational Background

• UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO; Boulder, Colorado
  B.A., Distributive Degree in Chemistry, Biology and Russian
• 1966, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO; Boulder, Colorado
  B.Ph., Pharmacy
• 1970, UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO; Boulder, Colorado
  Ph.D., Pharmacology
  

Professional Experience

• 1968-1970 NIMH Predoctoral Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, Boulder, Colorado
• 1970-1971 Research Associate, Department of Biochemistry, The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, Illinois
• 1971-1973 Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, Illinois
• 1973-1975 Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, The Chicago Medical School, Chicago, Illinois
• 1974-1975 Visiting Scientist, Medizinisch-Chemisches Institute, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
• 1975-1978 Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
• 1978-1984 Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of Illinois at the Medical Center Chicago, Illinois
• 1979-1984 Research Pharmacologist, Veterans Administration, West Side Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
• 1980-1984 Director, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research and Training Program, University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
• 1984-1990 Director, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
• 1985-1986 Acting Deputy Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland
• 1984-Present Visiting Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois, School of Medicine, Rockford Campus, Rockford, Illinois
• l989-Present Visiting Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Basic Health Sciences, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
• 1990-Present Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine Denver, Colorado
• 1991-Present Faculty Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado

Professional Activities

Administrative Posts and National/International Committees.

• President: International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA), 1986-1990
  
• President: American Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA), 1983-1985
  
• Chairman: National Foundation for Prevention of Chemical Dependency Disease, 1994-present
  
• Member: International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA); Board of Directors, 1982-1994, 1998-current year
  
• Member: American Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA): Board of Directors, 1987-1993
  
• Member: WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Dependence & Alcohol Problems, 1987-present
  
• Member: RSA: Committee on National Advocacy, current
  
• Member: Advisory Board, Alcohol and Alcoholism, Maudsley Hospital, London, England, current
  
• Member: RSA: Ad Hoc Committee on Long-Term Strategy, current
  
• Member: ASPET: Committee on Public Affairs, current
  
• Member: Jellinek Memorial Fund, Board of Directors, current year

Scientific Societies

• American Chemical Society
  
• American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)
  
• American Society for Neurochemistry
  
• American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
  
• International Council on Alcoholism and Addictions
  
• International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA)
  
• Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA)
  
• Society for Neuroscience
  

NIH/ADAMHA Committees (1984-1990)

• Board of Scientific Directors, NIH
• Subcommittee on Technology Transfer: Royalties and Licensing, NIH
• Oversight Committee for Construction of the Child Health, Neurology and Primate Res Bldg (Bldg 49), NIH
• Committee for Intramural Scientific Promotions (GS-14, 15), NIH
• Committee on Minority Health Issues, NIH
• Committee for Research, Treatment and Prevention, ADAMHA
• Committee for Drug Abuse Medications Development, ADAMHA
• Committee for Animal Welfare Concerns, NIH/ADAMHA
• Executive Committee (NIAAA) and other NIAAA/ADAMHA Committees on budget, personnel and policy
• Working Group on Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke in Minorities, NIH
• Subcommittee for Review of Neuroscience and Behavior Portfolio

Editorial Boards

• Addiction Biology (Member)
  
• Alcohol (Member)
  
• Alcohol and Alcoholism (Member)
  
• Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (Review Editor)
  
• American Journal on Addictions (Member)
  
• Biochemical Pharmacology (Member)
  
• British Journal on Alcohol and Alcoholism (Member)
  
• International Journal of Molecular Medicine (Member)
  
• Journal of Current Literature (Member)
  
• Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (Member)
  
• Journal of Studies on Alcohol (Member)

Honors and Awards

• NIMH Predoctoral Fellowship
• Rho Chi Honorary Pharmacy Fraternity
• Board of Trustees Research Award, The Chicago Medical School
• Research Award, Interstate Postgraduate Medical Association of North America
• Hoffman-LaRoche Foundation Fellowship
• NIH-Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship
• V.A. Award for Studies on the Etiology of Alcoholism
• Schweppe Foundation Fellowship
• Grass Foundation Traveling Scientist Program Lecturer
  
• Research Society on Alcoholism Award for Scientific Excellence in Research
• Jellinek Memorial Award for Major and Continuing Contributions to Alcohol Research
• ADAMHA Administrator's Award for Public Service, US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Presidential Rank Meritorious Executive Award, Senior Executive Service, DHHS
• Meritorious Award to a Distinguished Alumnus, The Chicago Medical School

Patents

• U.S. Patent #4,528,295. "Composition and Method for Reducing Blood Acetaldehyde Levels"
• U.S. Patent #4,770,996. "Identification of Individuals Predisposed Toward Alcohol Abuse"
• U.S. Patent #4929228, with Katherine A. Hendricks. "Antimotion Sickness Apparatus"
• U.S. Patent #08/576,928, with Paula L. Hoffman. "Treatment for Drug Dependence and Withdrawal Syndromes"
• U.S. Patent #60/048,848, with Paula L. Hoffman. "Composition for Amelioration of Alcohol Withdrawal, Drug Withdrawal or Brain Damage"

Patent Pending

• Patent #PCT/US98/11312, with Paula L. Hoffman and Lawrence Snell: "Compounds, Compositions and Method Suitable for Amelioration of Withdrawal Syndromes and Withdrawal-Induced Brain Damage"
  
  

Bibliography

Snell LD, Bhave SV, Tabakoff B, Hoffman PL. Chronic ethanol exposure delays the 'developmental switch' of the NMDA receptor 2A and 2B subunits in cultured cerebellar granule neurons. J Neurochem. 2001 Jul;78(2):396-405.

Wu PH, Tabakoff B, Szabo G, Hoffman PL. Chronic ethanol exposure results in increased acute functional tolerance in selected lines of HAFT and LAFT mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Jun;155(4):405-12.

Kirstein SL, Tabakoff B. Genetic correlations between initial sensitivity to Ethanol and brain cAMP signaling in inbred and selectively bred mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2001 Jun;25(6):791-9.

Tabakoff B, Helander A, Conigrave KM, Martinez L, Hoffman PL, Whitfield J, Degenhardt L, Saunders J, Baron A, Glanz J. WHP/ISBRA study on state and trait markers in alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2001 May;25(5 Suppl ISBRA):99S-103S.

Hoffman PL, Yagi T, Tabakoff B, Phillips TJ, Kono H, Messing RO, Choi DS. Transgenic and gene "knockout" models in alcohol research. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2001 May;25(5 Suppl ISBRA):60S-66S. Review.

Snell LD, Claffey DJ, Ruth JA, Valenzuela RC, Cardosa R, Want Z-J, Levinson SR, Sather WA, Williamson AV, Ingersol NA, Ovchinnokova L, Bhave SV, Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B. A novel structure having antagonist actions at both the glycine site of the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor and neuronal voltage-sensitive sodium channels: Biochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral characterization. J Pharm Exp Ther292:215-227 (2000).

Menninger JA, Barón AE, Conigrave, KM, Whitfield J, Saunders JB, Helander A, Eriksson CJP, Grant, B, Hoffman, PL, Tabakoff B, and the Clinical and Assay Centers of the WHO/ISBRA Collaborative Study. Platelet adenylyl cyclase activity as a trait marker of alcohol dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 24:810-821 (2000).

Bhave SV, Snell LW, Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL. Chronic ethanol exposure attenuates the anti-apoptotic effect of NMDA in cerebellar granule neurons. J Neurochem75:1035-1044 (2000)

Yoshimura M, Wu P, Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B. Overexpression of Type 7 adenylyl cyclase in the mouse brain enhances acute and chronic actions of morphine. Mol Pharm58:1011-1016 (2000)

Rabbani M, Nelson E, Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B, The role of protein kinase C in ethanol-induced activation of adenylyl cyclase. Alcohol Clin Exp Res23:77-86 (1999).

Bhave SV, Snell LD, Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Ethanol sensitivity of NMDA receptor function in developing cerebellar granule neurons. Eur J Pharm369:247-259 (1999)

Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B, The neurobiology of alcohol. In: American Psychiatric Press Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2nd Edition, pp3-10. Galanter M and Kleber HD, eds, American Psychiatric Press, Inc., Washington DC (1999)

Grant K, Hoffman PL, Little H and Tabakoff B, "Alcohol and the Central Nervous System." In: Health Issues Related to Alcohol Consumption, 2nd Edition, Macdonald I, ed, Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford (1999)

Yoshimura M and Tabakoff B, Ethanol's actions on cAMP signaling in cells transfected with Type VII adenylyl cyclase. Alcohol Clin Exp Res23:1457-1461 (1999)

Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B. Pharmacological treatment of alcoholism. Current Opinion in CNS Investigational Drugs1:470-483 (1999)

Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Adenylyl cyclases and alcohol. In: Advances in Second Messenger and Phosphoprotein Research, Vol 32, Cooper DMF, ed. Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia, pp173-193 (1998)

Mons N, Yoshimura M, Ikeda H, Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B, Immunological assessment of the distribution of Type VII adenylyl cyclase in brain. Brain Res788:251-262 (1998)

Eckardt MJ, File SE, Gessa GL, Grant KA, Gueri C, Hoffman PL, Kalant H, Koob GF, Li T-K and Tabakoff B, Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the central nervous system. Alcohol Clin Exp Res22:998-1040 (1998)

Ikeda H, Menninger JA and Tabakoff B, An initial study of the relationship between platelet adenylyl cyclase activity and alcohol use disorder criteria. Alcohol Clin Exp Res22:1057-1064 (1998)

Menninger JA, Barón A and Tabakoff B, Effects of abstinence and family history for alcoholism on platelet adenylyl cyclase. Alcohol Clin Exp Res22:1955-1961 (1998)

Hellevuo K, Welborn R, Menninger JA and Tabakoff B, Human adenylyl cyclase type 7 contains polymorphic repeats in the 3' untranslated region: investigations of association with alcoholism. Amer J Med Gen (Neuropsychiatric Genetics)74:95-98 (1997)

Helander A, Tabakoff B and members of the WHO/ISBRA Study Clinical Centers, Biochemical markers of alcohol use and abuse: experiences from the pilot study of the WHO/ISBRA collaborative project on state and trait markers of alcohol. Alcohol and Alcoholism32:113-144 (1997)

Menninger JA and Tabakoff B, Forskolin-stimulated platelet adenylyl cyclase activity is lower in persons with major depression. Biol Psych.42:30-38 (1997)

Tyndale RF, Bhave SV, Hoffmann E, Hoffman PL, Tabakoff B, Tobin AJ and Olsen RW, Pentobarbital decreases the g -aminobutyric acidA receptor subunit gamma-2 long/short mRNA ratio by a mechanism distinct from receptor occupation. J Pharmacol Exp Ther283:350-357 (1997)

Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Ethanol and glutamate receptors. In: Pharmacological Effects of Ethanol on the Nervous System, Deitrich RA and VG Erwin, eds, CRC Press Inc, Boca Raton, Florida, pp 73-93 (1996)

Tabakoff B, Hellevuo K and Hoffman PL, Alcohol. In: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology Volume 118: Pharmacological Aspects of Drug Dependence, Schuster CR, Gust SW and Kuhar MJ, eds, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp 373-458 (1996)

Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Effect of alcohol on neurotransmitters and their receptors and enzymes. In: The Pharmacology of Alcohol and Alcohol Dependence, 2nd Edition, Begleiter H and Kissin B, eds, Oxford University Press, New York, pp 356-430 (1996)

Parsian A, Suarez BK, Tabakoff B, Hoffman P, Ovchinnikova L, Fisher L and Cloninger CR, Monoamine oxidases and alcoholism: studies in unrelated alcoholics, normal controls and alcoholic families. Alcohol and Alcoholism, Suppl 2:45-49 (1996)

Hoffman PL, Snell LD, Bhave SV and Tabakoff B, Ethanol inhibition of NMDA receptor function in primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule cells and cerebral cortical cells. Alcohol and Alcoholism, Suppl 2:199-204 (1996)

Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Alcohol addiction: an enigma among us. Neuron16:909-912 (1996)

Hellevuo K, Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B, Adenylyl cyclases: mRNA and characteristics of enzyme activity in three areas of brain. J Neurochem67:177-185 (1996)

Yoshimura M, Ikeda H and Tabakoff B, m -Opioid receptors inhibit dopamine stimulated activity of type V adenylyl cyclase but enhance the dopamine stimulated activity of type VII adenylyl cyclase. Mol Pharmacol50:43-51 (1996)

Hoffman PL, Bhave SV, Kumar KN, Iorio KR, Snell LD, Tabakoff B and Michaelis EK, The 71 kDa glutamate binding protein is increased in cerebellar granule cells after chronic ethanol treatment. Mol Brain Res39:167-176 (1996)

Snell LD, Nunley KR, Lickteig RL, Browning MD, Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Regional and subunit specific changes in NMDA receptor mRNA and immunoreactivity in mouse brain following chronic ethanol ingestion. Mol Brain Res40:71-78 (1996)

Parsian A, Todd RD, Cloninger CR, Hoffman PL, Ovchinnikova L, Tabakoff B and members of the WHO/ISBRA Study Clinical Centers, Platelet adenylyl cyclase activity in alcoholics and subtypes of alcoholics. Alcohol Clin Exp Res20:745-751 (1996)

Bhave SV, Snell LD, Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Mechanism of ethanol inhibition of NMDA receptor function in primary cultures of cerebral cortical cells. Alcohol Clin Exp Res20:934-941 (1996)

Snell LD, Szabó G, Tabakoff B and Hoffman PL, Gangliosides reduce the development of ethanol dependence without affecting ethanol tolerance. J Pharm Exp Ther279:128-136 (1996)

Tabakoff B, Helander A, Grant B, Dongier M and Saunders J, The WHO/ISBRA study on state and trait markers in alcoholism: progress report. Alcohol Clin Exp Res Suppl 20:243A-247A (1996)

Hoffman PL and Tabakoff B, Alcohol dependence: a commentary on mechanisms. Alcohol & Alcoholism31:333-340 (1996)