Bidlack Lab, University of Rochester

Dana J. Cohen
Technical Associate I
Dana_Cohen@urmc.rochester.edu

Dana Cohen received her B.S. degree in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester in 1996. Since then, she has taken some graduate classes at the university. She has been a member of this lab since 1996 and as a Technical Associate I, assumes most of the responsibility for running the lab and training new personnel. Dana has been involved in the characterization of new opioid compounds both in vitro, in binding assays, and in vivo, in mouse analgesic assays. She has determined the efficacy of new compounds in stimulating GTP binding to the G protein that is coupled to the opioid receptor. In addition, Dana's studies focus on determining whether a new compound is a full agonist, partial agonist or an antagonist.

Maxim Maxim V. Khimich
Graduate Student
Maxim_Khimich@urmc.rochester.edu

Maxim received his B.S. in physics in 1998 and his M.S. in biophysics in 2000 from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. He is pursuing a Ph.D. in Pharmacology. His research has focused on the influence of kappa opioid receptor on IL-7 receptor expression in thymic cells.

Brian Brian I. Knapp
Technical Associate I
Brian_Knapp@urmc.rochester.edu

Brian received his B.S. in Biology from Clarkson University in 1999. He earned his M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Ohio University in 2001 studying the evolutionary mechanisms forming sexual body size dimorphisms in iguanid lizards. He joined the lab in September, 2001 as a laboratory technician IV, investigating the affinity and functional pharmacology of novel opiates. In April 2004 he was promoted to Technical Associate I.

Jennifer L. Mathews
Graduate Student
Jennifer_Mathews@urmc.rochester.edu

Jennifer received her B.A. in Biology from the State University of New York at Potsdam in 1995; an M.A. in Biology from the University of Northern Colorado in 2000; and an M.S. in Pharmacology in 2003. Her thesis research has focused on the interaction between the mu opioid and kappa opioid receptors, including the ability of the kappa receptor to modulate the mu receptor in models of tolerance and addiction.

Sarah Sarah E. Sumagin
Graduate Student
Sarah_Sumagin@urmc.rochester.edu

Sarah did her undergraduate studies at Simon's Rock, College of Bard. There she majored in Chemistry, and also took a strong interest in both biology and psychology. She entered the University of Rochester through the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Neuroscience, interested mainly in how different drugs affect the nervous system. She is currently working on a project that may connect microglia and the delta opioid receptor.

Christopher M. Tipton
Graduate Student |
Christopher_Tipton@urmc.rochester.edu

Chris graduated from Baylor University in 2002 with B.S. degrees in Neuroscience and Biology and received his M.S. degree in Pharmacology from University of Rochester in 2004. He is pursuing a PhD in Pharmacology and is researching interactions between the opioid and immune systems. His thesis work will examine the role and expression of the kappa opioid receptor on monocytes and macrophages.