SCoBIRC FACULTY

James Pauly, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor,
Pharmaceutical Sciences

Director of Graduate Studies
Area of Graduate Study: Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Pharmacology

Dr. Pauly and his lab

Research Interests

Dr. Pauly's research interests are primarily focused on the neurobiological actions of nicotine. The CNS nicotinic cholinergic system is studied using techniques that include quantitative receptor autoradiography, quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry, ion flux assays and behavioral analyses. Dr. Pauly's lab is currently studying 1) the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on brain development 2) the actions of steroid hormones (adrenal and ovarian) on the number and functional status of brain nicotinic receptor subtypes 3) the role of alpha 7 nicotinic receptors in regulating responsiveness to nicotine and 4) the brain nicotinic system in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Pauly is also interested in the use of novel radioligands for the histochemical localization of receptor subtypes in the CNS as well as peripheral tissues such as the lung and heart.

Representative Publications

Sparks, J.A. and Pauly, J.R. The effects of chronic oral nicotine administration on brain nicotinic receptors and responsiveness to nicotine. Psychopharmacology 141: 145-153, 1999.

Verbois, S.L., Scheff, S.W. and Pauly, J.R. Time-dependant changes in rat brain cholinergic receptor expression following experimental brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 19(12): 1569-1585, 2002.

Verbois, S.L., Hopkins, D.M., Scheff, S.W., Pauly, J.R. Chronic intermittent nicotine administration attenuates traumatic brain injury-induced cognitive dysfunction. Neuroscience, 119(4): 1199-208, 2003.

Pauly, J.R., Sparks, J.A., Hauser, K.F., Pauly, T.H. In utero nicotine exposure causes persistent, gender-dependant changes in locomotor activity and sensitivity to nicotine in C57Bl/6 mice. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 22(5-6): 329-37, 2004

Pauly, J.R., Charriez, C.M., Guseva, M.V., Scheff, S.W. Nicotinic receptor modulation for neuroprotection and enhancement of functional recovery following brain injury or disease. Annals New York Academy of Science 1035: 1-19, 2004.

Kelso, M.L., Wehner, J.M., Collins, A.C., Scheff, S.W. and Pauly, J.R. The pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury in 7 nicotinic cholinergic receptor knockout mice. Brain Research, 1083(1):204-10, 2006

Guseva M.V., Hopkins D.M., Pauly J.R. An autoradiographic analysis of rat brain nicotinic receptor plasticity following dietary choline modification. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 84(1):26-34, 2006.

Ginzel K.H., Maritz G.S., Marks D.F., Neuberger M., Pauly J.R., Polito J.R., Schulte-Hermann R., and Slotkin T.A. Critical Review: Nicotine for the Fetus, the Infant and the Adolescent? J Health Psychol 12: 215-224, 2007.