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Jeffrey Simms PDF Print E-mail
Jeff2.jpgStaff Research Associate III

Contact Information:
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Job Description: Manage preclinical drug screening and model development and run daily behavioral experiments.

Research Interests: A shared area of interest within our group is the search for novel medications for the treatment of alcohol dependence. It's exciting to be part of the process of translating basic research discoveries into drugs that could potentially help those struggling with alcoholism. At the present time, my particular area of interest is the CRF system and its involvement in ethanol-mediated behaviors. Using microdialysis and local infusions we hope to gain a better understanding of the effects of CRF on the mesocorticolimbic DA pathway and, in particular, its role in ethanol consumption and reinstatement.


Publications:

Ammon B. Corl, Karen H. Berger, Galit Ophir-Shohat, Julie Gesch, Jeffrey A. Simms, Selena E. Bartlett and Ulrike Heberlein. Happyhour, a Ste20 Family Kinase, Implicates EGFR Signaling in Ethanol-Induced Behaviors. Cell (in press)

Simms, J.A., Steensland, P., Medina, B., Abernathy, K., Chandler, L.J., Wise, R.A., and Bartlett, S.E. (2008) Intermittent-Access to 20% Ethanol induces high ethanol consumption in Long-Evans and Wistar rats. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 32:1-8.


 Richards JK, Simms JA, Bartlett SE.  Conditioned cues and yohimbine induce reinstatement of beer and near-beer seeking in Long-Evans rats. Addict Biol. 2008 Dec 12. [Epub ahead of print]  PMID: 19076928 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Nielsen CK, Simms JA, Pierson HB, Li R, Saini SK, Ananthan S, Bartlett SE. A novel delta opioid receptor antagonist, SoRI-9409, produces a selective and long-lasting decrease in ethanol consumption in heavy-drinking rats. Biol Psychiatry. 2008 Dec 1;64(11):974-81. Epub 2008 Sep 6.  PMID: 18774553 [PubMed - in process]

Simms JA, Steensland P, Medina B, Abernathy KE, Chandler LJ, Wise R, Bartlett SE.  Intermittent access to 20% ethanol induces high ethanol consumption in Long-Evans and Wistar rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2008 Oct;32(10):1816-23. Epub 2008 Jul 30.  PMID: 18671810 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Richards JK, Simms JA, Steensland P, Taha SA, Borgland SL, Bonci A, Bartlett SE. Inhibition of orexin-1/hypocretin-1 receptors inhibits yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol and sucrose seeking in Long-Evans rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 Jul;199(1):109-17. Epub 2008 May 10.  PMID: 18470506 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Steensland P, Simms JA, Holgate J, Richards JK, Bartlett SE.  Varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, selectively decreases ethanol consumption and seeking. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Jul 24;104(30):12518-23. Epub 2007 Jul 11.  PMID: 17626178 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Dayas CV, Liu X, Simms JA, Weiss F. Distinct Patterns of Neural Activation Associated with Ethanol Seeking: Effects of Naltrexone. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Nov 9; [Epub ahead of print].
PMID: 17098214 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Contributions to published articles:

Dayas CV, Martin-Fardon R, Thorsell A, Weiss F. Chronic footshock, but not a physiological stressor, suppresses the alcohol deprivation effect in dependent rats. Alcohol Alcohol. 2004 May-Jun;39(3):190-6.
PMID: 15082455 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Ciccocioppo R, Martin-Fardon R, Weiss F. Stimuli associated with a single cocaine experience elicit long-lasting cocaine-seeking. Nat Neurosci. 2004 May;7(5):495-6. Epub 2004 Mar 28.
PMID: 15048121 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Previous Employment: The Scripps Research Institute