Wilcox, Richard E., Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Admissions/Advising,
James T. Doluisio Centennial Fellow
Professor of Neuropharmacology
PHR 5.112B
512-471-1737
wilcoxrich@mail.utexas.edu

ADDICTION SCIENCE EDUCATION. For the last several years Carl Erickson and I have conducted workshops on the neurobiology of addiction around the country. We evaluate these workshops for effectiveness in changing knowledge, beliefs and professional behavior concerning the addictions. This work, consistently funded by NIAAA / NIDA, has resulted in a number of peer reviewed papers (both reviews and data papers). I plan to continue these activities for the foreseeable future.

MEDICAL OUTCOMES RESEARCH. A huge and growing percentage of the population of the Northwest Austin area consists of working poor families without health insurance. These individuals need education about diseases and preventative medicine. Free clinics, such as the one I work with, need models to evaluate their effectiveness in delivering all types of services. To this end I have developed and enhanced contacts throughout the community and at UT to provide a unique partnership for better health care for underserved people.

COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY. My previous work in this area evaluated the structural features of agonists at dopamine D1 receptors D1 vs. D2 receptors, D2 wild type and mutant receptors, and 5HT7 receptors vs. dopamine receptors.

Key results in this area have demonstrated an increase in accuracy and precision of agonist affinity measurements when data from recombinant receptors stably expressed in cell lines are used. Also, these results have shown important similarities and differences in the structural requirements for agonist affinity at closely related receptors (receptor subtypes and wild type vs. point mutant variants).

This computational work extends 30 years of wet lab studies ranging from behavior through studies conducted in clonal cell lines on dopamine functions.

SUMMARY

During the past several years my research has embraced four major content / methods areas: computational chemistry models of drug - receptor interactions, quantitative models of drug action, signal transduction following in vivo drug challenge, and educational research in addiction.

1. Computational chemistry. See above.
   
2. Quantitative modeling. This set of papers determined agonist affinity and relative intrinsic efficacy at D1 and D2 dopamine receptors stably expressed in clonal cell lines in terms of cAMP production. Key results in this area have demonstrated an improved ability to determine agonist efficacy when studies of second messenger function are used in clonal cell lines stably expressing the receptor. Also, these results have shown that such expression systems represent useful model systems for testing pharmacological null hypotheses about the nature of drug receptor interactions. Finally, our results in this area have compared theoretical models for agonist.
   
3. Signal transduction. This set of papers evaluated the effects of dopaminergic agonists and antagonists vs. non-dopaminergic drugs on protein phosphorylation in corpus striatum following acute in vivo drug challenge. Key findings from these papers are that acute in vivo \drug challenge represents an important model for understanding protein phosphorylation in intact organisms. Furthermore, we have shown that both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic drugs induce distinct patterns of protein phosphorylation (pDARPP-32 vs. pNR1) that are in some instances reversed by in vivo challenge with ethanol.
   
4. Addiction science education. See above.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Neuropharmacology / neurochemistry
Synaptic transmission / signal transduction
Parkinson's disease
Schizophrenia
Major depressive disorder
Bipolar disorder
Alzheimer's disease
Epilepsy
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Anxiety