Biography
In 2018, I retired as a Full Professor from the University of Arizona's College of Medicine's Department of Pharmacology. I hold the title of Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology in that Department. I received my Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Long Beach, in Zoology and earned my Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
After completing my doctorate, I became a postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Arthur V. Davis Center for Behavioral Neurobiology, The Salk Institute, San Diego, California, under the tutelage of Dr. Floyd E. Bloom, a member of the National Academy of Sciences. While working at the Salk Institute, I had the honor to be awarded a one-year Alexander von Humboldt fellowship at the Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry in Munich, Germany.
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From 1980-1986, I served as a Research Assistant Professor at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1986, I was promoted to Research Associate Professor of Pharmacology with a secondary appointment in the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. From 1986-87, I served as Acting Chief, Neuroscience Program, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
I was invited to join the faculty at the University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine in 1988 where I remained until my retirement as a tenured full professor of Pharmacology in 2018. While at the UA, and only as examples of the administrative work I performed there, I was Chair of the Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Toxicology, directed the pharmacology course for second-year medical students, directed the Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, Renal Block from 2009 to 2015 in the second-year medical school curriculum, and Chaired the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Graduate College at the University of Arizona. My grant-funded research is listed elsewhere on this website.
As a member of the faculty, I mentored countless graduate students and medical students and served on their dissertation committees.
I also served on numerous committees both in the College of Medicine and at the University of Arizona, some of which include the Curriculum Committee, Student Progress Committee, Student Appeals Committee, Promotion and Tenure Committee, Advisory Committee to Arizona Respiratory Center Training Program, Standing Subcommittee for Preparation for Clinical Medicine Course, Furrow Advisory Committee, Dean’s Search Committee, and many others.
I have been a member of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) and served on several of its committees and subcommittees. I have been a member of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Initial Review Group, Neurophysiology & Neuroanatomy Research Committee, and served as a special review consultant for NIDA as well.
I conducted funded research as principal investigator for NIDA, Arizona Disease Control Research Commission, the UA Purchase of Classroom Equipment for Instructional Computing, Sandoz Research Institute, Knoll Pharmaceuticals, NOVA Pharmaceutical Corporation, Vice President for Research at the UA research related to marijuana and dopamine neuron electrophysiology, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Astra Alab, Pfizer Corporation, the National Institute on Neurological Disorders, a Biomedical Research Support Grant for the UA College of Medicine, National Institute on Neurological Diseases, University of Maryland, Designated Research Initiative Funds, National Institute on Neurological Diseases, National Institute of General Medical Science, and have published more than 72 peer-reviewed research papers.
In addition to my research, I have been an invited lecturer at national and international meetings, all of which are described in my curriculum vitae. (Click button below to download my CV).
Education
B.S. Zoology, California State University at Long Beach
Ph.D. University of California at Los Angeles
Employment
1990 to present: Consultant and expert witness in criminal and civil litigation in city, state, county, and federal courts for plaintiffs, prosecutors, and defense counsel. Evaluate medical, pharmacology and toxicology records and lab findings, transcripts, and supply written opinions and expert testimony to courts upon request.
2004-2010 Chairman, Graduate Program in Medical Pharmacology, The University of Arizona.
1996-2005 Chairman, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Toxicology, Graduate College, The University of Arizona.
2001-2018 Professor, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
1991-2001 Associate Professor, Tenured, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
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1988 - 1991 Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
1988 -1998 Associate Professor, Principal Faculty Member, Program in Neuroscience, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
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1986 - 1988 Research Associate Professor, Neuroscience Program, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
1986 - 1987 Acting Chief, Neuroscience Program, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
1986 - 1988 Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Secondary appointment, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
1980 - 1986 Research Assistant Professor, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
1979 - 1980 Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry, Neuropharmacology Section, Munich, Germany.
1978 - 1979 Research Associate, Arthur V. Davis Center for Behavioral Neurobiology, The Salk Institute, San Diego, California; Supervisor: Dr. Floyd E. Bloom.
1976 - 1978 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Arthur V. Davis Center for Behavioral Neurobiology, The Salk Institute, San Diego, California; Supervisor: Dr. Floyd E. Bloom.
1975 - 1976 Research Assistant, Department of Pharmacology, University of California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California; Supervisor: Dr. Robert George.
1973 - 1975 Teaching Assistant, Department of Pharmacology, University of California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.
1973 - 1975 Consultant, Over-the-Counter Drug Evaluation Committee, Food and Drug Administration; Supervisor: Dr. J. Weldon Bellville, University of California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California.
1969 - 1970 Biological/Biochemical Laboratory Technician, Veterans Administration Hospital, Long Beach, California; Supervisor: Dr. H. Labitzke.