Dr. Nachum Dafny
Regular Member
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Medical School
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy
Research Interests:
- Mechanism of pain
- Stress and drug addiction
The main focus of this laboratory is two-fold: pain mechanisms, including pain suppression and electro-acupuncture, and drug abuse mechanisms, involving morphine, cocaine, alcohol, ritalin, amphetamine, ecstasy and Prozac. Behavioral, neurophysiological, pharmacological, endocrinologic and immunological procedures are used, primarily with the rodent as an animal model. The electrophysiological procedures used include single cell and evoked potential recording, electroencephalography (EEG), and brain stimulation. Computerized techniques are used for monitoring animal behavior.
The laboratory is also involved with several other studies. These concern connections between the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems; brain regulation of hormonal secretion; mechanisms of obesity and satiety; and the electrophysiology of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, and of peptides, with clinical application to Parkinsonism, Huntington's chorea, and Tardive dyskinesia. In addition, collaborative immunological and endocrinologic studies are conducted with other groups in the Texas Medical Center.
Program Affiliation:
Program in Neuroscience
Contact Information
Phone: 713.500.5616
Email: Nachum.Dafny@uth.tmc.edu
Office: MSB 7.208b
Title: Professor
Education:
Ph.D. - Hadassah Medical School - 1969
