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Irwin
Lucki, Ph.D.
Professor, Depts of Psychiatry
and Pharmacology
School of Medicine
Translational Research Laboratory Building
125 South 31st Street
(215) 573-3305 FAX: (215) 573-2149
email: lucki@pharm.med.upenn.edu
Click here for selected publications since Dr. Lucki's arrival at Penn
RESEARCH INTERESTS
(1) Behavioral pharmacology; (2) Mechanism of action of antidepressant and
antianxiety medications; (3) Stress neurobiology and psychiatric disorders
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Behavioral pharmacology in rats and mice; microdialysis measurement of extracellular concentrations of monoamines in conscious rats and mice; behavioral analysis of knockout mice; stereotaxic surgery; effects of brain lesions and neurotoxins on behavior; central drug administration; in vitro ligand binding; histology; radioimmunoassay; and HPLC analysis of brain monoaminesRESEARCH SUMMARY
Current studies focus on the role of specific neurotransmitters, such as
serotonin (5-HT), in the behavioral effects of antidepressant and anxiolytic
drugs. Animal models for depression and anxiety are used to evaluate the
potential efficacy of different neurotransmitter and peptide receptors for
clinical therapeutic effects, to identify brain regions associated with
behavioral responses to drugs, and to construct and evaluate pharmacological
models for improving the efficacy of psychiatric medications. The participation
of central 5-HT neurotransmission in depression, anxiety and neuroendocrine
regulation associated with behavioral stress is specifically being investigated.
Microdialysis procedures are used to measure the release of neurotransmitters
in discrete regions of awake freely-moving rats or mice. These studies provide
information on the regulation of the release of neurotransmitters in different
brain regions, determine environmental and behavioral conditions that alter
the release of neurotransmitters, and measure the effects of drugs during
behavioral performance. Finally, studies of different inbred mouse strains
or knockout mice are examining genetic factors associated with complex behaviors
and the behavioral effects of psychotherapeutic medications.
KEY WORDS:
Antidepressants; tranquilizers; stress; serotonin; microdialysis; knockouts; behavior
