Faculty

Andrea G. Hohmann, Ph.D. Professor Neuroscience and Behavior Program Ph.D., Brown University, 1996 Office: Room 601 Ph: (706) 542-2252 Fax: (706) 542-3275 Email: ahohmann@uga.edu

Research Interests

My research studies behavior from physiological, neurochemical and anatomical perspectives. My work uses rat subjects to study mechanisms of pain and its control and specifically focuses on the roles of cannabinoids- the bodies' own marijuana-like compounds- in suppressing pain. My laboratory is particularly interested in identifying the environmental conditions under which an endogenous cannabinoid system is active. My research program uses electrophysiological methods to study cannabinoid modulation of nociceptive neurons. To address the underlying mechanisms, my research has identified the locations of cannabinoid receptors in primary pain pathways using the techniques of in situ hybridization and in vitro receptor binding/ autoradiography. I am especially interested in studying how this system may be activated to treat chronic pain - a significant clinical problem - that responds poorly to conventional treatments.

Selected Publications

Nackley, A.G., Zvonok, A.M., Makriyannis, A., and Hohmann, A.G. (2004) Activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses C-fiber responses and windup in spinal wide dynamic range neurons in the absence and presence of inflammation. J. Neurophysiology, in press. Online version published Aug. 18, 2004 as DOI: 10.1152/jn.00886.2003.

Hohmann, A.G., Farthing, J., Zvonok, A.M. and Makriyannis, A. (2004) Selective activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses hyperalgesia evoked by intradermal capsaicin. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 308: 446-453.

Nackley, A.G. Suplita, R.L II and Hohmann, A.G. (2003) A peripheral cannabinoid mechanism suppresses spinal Fos protein-expression and pain behavior in a rat model of inflammation. Neuroscience 117: 659-670.

Nackley, A.G., Makriyannis, A. and Hohmann, A.G. (2003) Selective activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors suppresses spinal Fos protein expression and pain behavior in a rat model of inflammation. Neuroscience 119: 747-757.

Crystal, J.D., Maxwell, K.W. and Hohmann, A.G. (2003) Cannabinoid modulation of sensitivity to time. Behavioural Brain Research 144: 57-66.

Gutierrez, T., Nackley, A.G., Neely, M.H., Freeman, K.G., Edwards, G.L., and Hohmann, A.G. (2003) Effects of neurotoxic destruction of descending noradrenergic pathways on cannabinoid antinociception in rat models of acute and tonic nociception. Brain Research 987: 176-185.

Hohmann, A.G. (2002) Spinal and peripheral mechanisms of cannabinoid antinociception: behavioral, neurophysiological and neuroanatomical perspectives. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids 121: 173-190.

Hohmann, A.G. and Herkenham, M. (2000) Localization of cannabinoid CB1 receptor mRNA in neuronal subpopulations of rat striatum: A double-label in situ hybridization study. Synapse 37: 71-80.

Ruda, M.A., Ling, Q.D., Hohmann, A.G., Peng, Y.B. and Tachibana, T. (2000) Altered nociceptive neuronal circuits after neonatal peripheral inflammation. Science 289: 628-630.

Hohmann, A.G., and Herkenham, M. (1999) Cannabinoid receptors undergo axonal flow in sensory nerves. Neuroscience 92, 1171-1175.

Hohmann, A.G. and Herkenham, M. (1999) Localization of central cannabinoid CB1 receptor messenger RNA in neuronal subpopulations of rat dorsal root ganglia: A double-label in situ hybridization study. Neuroscience, 90: 923-931.

Hohmann, A.G., Briley E.M. and Herkenham, M. (1999) Pre- and postsynaptic distribution of cannabinoid and mu opioid receptors in rat spinal cord. Brain Research, 822: 17-25.

Hohmann, A.G., Tsou, K. and Walker, J.M. (1999) Cannabinoid suppression of noxious heat-evoked activity in wide dynamic range neurons in the lumbar dorsal horn of the rat. Journal of Neurophysiology, 81: 575-583.

Zimmer, A., Zimmer, A.M., Hohmann, A.G., Herkenham, M. and Bonner, T.I. (1999) Increased mortality, hypoactivity and hypoalgesia in cannabinoid CB1 receptor knockout mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 96: 5780-5785.

Walker, J.M., Hohmann, A.G., Martin, W.J., Strangman, N.M., Huang, S.M. and Tsou, K. (1999) The neurobiology of cannabinoid antinociception. Life Sciences 65, 665-673.

Grants

National Institute on Drug Abuse, Peripheral Cannabinoid Modulation of Pain Transmission (R01 DA014022), Principal Investigator, 2002-2005

National Institute on Drug Abuse, Supplement to Peripheral Cannabinoid Modulation of Pain Transmission (R01 DA014022-02S1), Principal Investigator, 2003-2005

National Institute on Drug Abuse, Endocannabinoid Mechanisms of Stress-induced Analgesia (R03 DA14265), Principal Investigator, 2001-2004

National Institute on Drug Abuse, Supplement to Endocannabinoid Mechanisms of Stress Analgesia (R03 DA14265-02S1), 2002-2004

Neuroscience Infrastructure, Education and Outreach Chapter Grant, Society for Neuroscience and Biomedical Health Sciences Institute, Director 2003-2004.

Professional Activities

Society for Neuroscience, President of the University of Georgia Chapter, 2002-

Institute for Behavioral Research, Basic Behavioral and Biobehavioral Processes Group, The University of Georgia, Director, 2003-

Biomedical Health Sciences Institute, the University of Georgia, Associate member

International Cannabinoid Research Society

Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society

International Association for the Study of Pain

International Behavioral Neuroscience Society

Courses Regularly Taught

Undergraduate

• Physiological and Comparative Psychology (PSYC 4130)
• Special Problems: Research in Neuroscience (PSYC 4800)
• Psychopharmacology (PSYC 5850)
• The Puzzle of Pain (FRES 1010)

Graduate

• Biological Foundations of Behavior (PSYC 6130)
• Neuroanatomy (PSYC 8300)

Page last updated 9-27-04