Robert Malison, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Mentee:
Peter Morgan, MD

Dr. Malison’s research is focused on the neurobiology and genetics of substance dependence disorders, with a particular focus on psychostimulant (cocaine and methamphetamine) dependence. He employs various methodologies including human laboratory methods designed to evaluate the regulation of cocaine self-administration, reinforcement, and cocaine behavioral effects. He is currently exploring via pharmacogenetic methods the mechanistic importance of dopamine beta-hydroxylase in disulfiram's therapeutic efficacy in cocaine abuse. More recently, his group has developed an interest in abnormalities in sleep and cognition in cocaine abstinence, and the potential therapeutic actions/mechanism of the wakefulness promoting agent and weak dopamine reuptake inhibitor, modafinil. He is also collaborating with colleagues at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok to undertake a feasibility study of the genetics of opioid and methamphetamine dependence in a northern Thai (Hmong) hill tribe population. In addition, Dr. Malison is the PI for a Clinical Neuroscience Research Training in Psychiatry grant sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health.