Edward Daniel Levin
Director, Center on Addiction & Behavior Change
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Overview
The three main research components of his laboratory are focused on the themes of the basic neurobiology of cognition and addiction, neurobehavioral toxicology and the development of novel therapeutic treatments for cognitive dysfunction and substance abuse. Currently, our principal research focus concerns nicotine. We have documented the basic effects of nicotine on learningm memory and attention as well as nicotine self-administration. We are continuing with more mechanistic studies in rat models using selective lesions, local infusions and neurotransmitter interaction studies. We have found that nicotine improves memory performance not only in normal rats, but also in rats with lesions of hippocampal and basal forebrain connections. We are concentrating on alpha7 and alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor subtypes in the hippocampus, amygdala , thalamus and frontal cortex and how they interact with dopamine D1 and D2 and glutamate NMDA systems with regard to memory and addiction. I am also conducting studies on human cognitive behavior. We have current studies to assess nicotine effects on attention, memory and mental processing speed in schizophrenics, Alzheimer's Disease patients and people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In the area of neurobehavioral toxicology, I have continuing projects to characterize the adverse effects of prenatal and adolescent nicotine exposure. Our primary project in neurobehavioral toxicology focuses on the cognitive deficits caused by the marine toxins including domoic acid, ciguatera toxin and pfiesteria. We have documented a persistent neurobehavioral effects caused by Pfiesteria and domoic acid exposure. We are determining the neurobehavioral nature and mechanisms of this deficit. The basic and applied aims of our research complement each other nicely. The findings concerning neural mechanisms underlying cognitive function help direct the behavioral toxicology and therapeutic development studies, while the applied studies provide important functional information concerning the importance of the basic mechanisms under investigation.
Selected Grants
Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant awarded by National Institutes of Health (Preceptor). 2020 to 2025
Duke University Program in Environmental Health awarded by National Institutes of Health (Mentor). 2013 to 2024
Using Zebrafish to Help Identify Which Environmental Toxicants Could Increase Autism Risk awarded by Autism Research Institute (Principal Investigator). 2019 to 2021
Alzheimer's Disease, Genes, and Pesticide Use in the Agricultural Health Study awarded by National Institutes of Health (Co Investigator). 2014 to 2021
Reinforcing effect of nicotine alone vs. nicotine plus other chemicals in tobacco awarded by Rose Research Center, LLC (Principal Investigator). 2019 to 2020
Pharmacological Sciences Training Program awarded by National Institutes of Health (Participating Faculty Member). 1975 to 2020
Receptor-type protein in tyrosine phosphatase D (PTPRD) treatment with 7-BIA to reduce nicotine self-adminstration awarded by Biomedical Research Institute of New Mexico (Principal Investigator). 2019 to 2020
HAB toxin exposure and Alzheimer's disease susceptibility awarded by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Principal Investigator). 2019 to 2020
Paternal Transgenerational Epigenetic Legacy from Use of Cannabis awarded by John Templeton Foundation (Co-Project Leader). 2017 to 2020
Study of Novel Treatment to Prevent Acquisition of Opiate Self-Administration in Rats awarded by Amygdala Neurosciences Inc. (Co Investigator). 2017 to 2019
Pages
Holloway, Zade R., et al. “Paternal cannabis extract exposure in rats: Preconception timing effects on neurodevelopmental behavior in offspring.” Neurotoxicology, vol. 81, Dec. 2020, pp. 180–88. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2020.10.007. Full Text
Holloway, Zade, et al. “Measuring attention in rats with a visual signal detection task: Signal intensity vs. signal duration.” Pharmacol Biochem Behav, vol. 199, Dec. 2020, p. 173069. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173069. Full Text
Oliveri, Anthony N., et al. “Zebrafish show long-term behavioral impairments resulting from developmental vitamin D deficiency.” Physiol Behav, vol. 224, Oct. 2020, p. 113016. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113016. Full Text
Oliveri, Anthony N., et al. “Developmental exposure of zebrafish to vitamin D receptor acting drugs and environmental toxicants disrupts behavioral function.” Neurotoxicol Teratol, vol. 81, Sept. 2020, p. 106902. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106902. Full Text
Levin, Edward D., et al. “Amitifadine, a triple reuptake inhibitor, reduces self-administration of the opiate remifentanil in rats.” Psychopharmacology (Berl), vol. 237, no. 6, June 2020, pp. 1681–89. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s00213-020-05489-w. Full Text
Blair, Graham, et al. “Dextromethorphan and bupropion reduces high level remifentanil self-administration in rats.” Pharmacol Biochem Behav, vol. 193, June 2020, p. 172919. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172919. Full Text Open Access Copy
Hawkey, Andrew B., et al. “Adult exposure to insecticides causes persistent behavioral and neurochemical alterations in zebrafish.” Neurotoxicol Teratol, vol. 78, Mar. 2020, p. 106853. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2019.106853. Full Text
Hawkey, Andrew, et al. “Gestational and perinatal exposure to diazinon causes long-lasting neurobehavioral consequences in the rat.” Toxicology, vol. 429, Jan. 2020, p. 152327. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.tox.2019.152327. Full Text
Willette, Blair K. A., et al. “Acute and chronic interactive treatments of serotonin 5HT2C and dopamine D1 receptor systems for decreasing nicotine self-administration in female rats.” Pharmacol Biochem Behav, vol. 186, Nov. 2019, p. 172766. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172766. Full Text
Levin, Edward D., et al. “Chronic memantine decreases nicotine self-administration in rats.” Eur J Pharmacol, vol. 861, Oct. 2019, p. 172592. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172592. Full Text
Pages
Levin, Edward D., et al. “Nicotinic treatments not only for tobacco, but also other addictions.” Biochemical Pharmacology, vol. 97, no. 4, Elsevier BV, 2015, pp. 635–635. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2015.08.040. Full Text
Hall, Brandon J., et al. “Low dose tobacco smoke extract exposure during development causes long-term behavioral dysfunction in rats.” Neurotoxicology and Teratology, vol. 49, Elsevier BV, 2015, pp. 121–22. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2015.04.073. Full Text
Bailey, Jordan, and Ed Levin. “The neurobehavioral toxicity of FireMaster 550® in zebrafish ( Danio rerio ): Chronic developmental and acute adolescent exposures.” Neurotoxicology and Teratology, vol. 49, Elsevier BV, 2015, pp. 118–118. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2015.04.064. Full Text
Oliveri, Anthony, and Ed Levin. “Early-life exposure to organophosphate flame retardants alters behavior in adult zebrafish: A comparison with organophosphate pesticides.” Neurotoxicology and Teratology, vol. 49, Elsevier BV, 2015, pp. 130–130. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2015.04.096. Full Text
Levin, Edward D. “Age and sex differences in starting nicotine self-administration in early, mid or late adolescence vs. adulthood: Cause and effect relationships determined in a rat model.” Neurotoxicology and Teratology, vol. 49, Elsevier BV, 2015, pp. 140–140. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2015.04.128. Full Text
Rezvani, Amir H., and Edward D. Levin. “Assessment of pregnenolone effects on alcohol intake and preference in male alcohol preferring (P) rats.” Eur J Pharmacol, vol. 740, 2014, pp. 53–57. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.07.003. Full Text
Zhang, C., et al. “LONG-TERM BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF EMBRYONIC ETHANOL EXPOSURE IN ZEBRAFISH.” Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, vol. 38, WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2014, pp. 176A-176A.
Cauley, M., et al. “Sex-selective interaction of prenatal nicotine with neonatal chlorpyrifos on novel object recognition in rats.” Neurotoxicology and Teratology, vol. 43, Elsevier BV, 2014, pp. 88–89. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2014.04.043. Full Text
Burke, Dennis, and Edward D. Levin. “Nicotinic α4β2 antagonist treatment attenuates impairments in radial-arm maze repeated acquisition caused by dizocilpine in rats.” Biochemical Pharmacology, vol. 86, no. 8, Elsevier BV, 2013, pp. 1231–1231. Crossref, doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2013.08.047. Full Text
Rezvani, A. H., et al. “DESENSITIZATION OF A4 beta 2 NICOTINIC RECEPTORS ATTENUATES ALCOHOL INTAKE AND PREFERENCE IN ALCOHOL PREFERRING P RATS.” Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, vol. 37, WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2013, pp. 247A-247A.