PHARMACOLOGY RESEARCH FACULTY
Selected Publications
  • Gerak, LR. and France, CP. (2012) Quantitative analyses of antagonism: combinations of midazolam and either flunitrazepam or pregnanolone in rhesus monkeys discriminating midazolam. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 340:742-749
  • Eppolito, AK., Bai, X. and Gerak, LR. (2012) Discriminative stimulus effects of pregnanolone in rats: role of training dose in determining mechanism of action (ePub) Psychopharmacology
  • Bai, X., France, CP. and Gerak, LR. (2011) The discriminative stimulus effects of midazolam are resistant to modulation by morphine, amphetamine, dizocilpine, and gamma-butyrolactone in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology 217:495-504.
  • Eppolito, AK., France, CP. and Gerak, LR. (2011) Effects of acute and chronic flunitrazepam on delay discounting in pigeons. J Exp Anal Behav 95:163-174.
  • Gerak, LR. and France, CP. (2011) Chronic benzodiazepine treatment does not alter interactions between positive GABA(A) modulators and flumazenil or pentylenetetrazole in monkeys. Behav Pharmacol22:49-57.
  • Bai, X. and Gerak, LR. (2011) Comparing the discriminative stimuli produced by either the neuroactive steroid pregnanolone or the benzodiazepine midazolam in rats. Psychopharmacology 214:427-435.
  • Becker, G., Gerak, LR., Li, J., Koek, W. and France, CP. (2011) Precipitated and conditioned withdrawal in morphine-treated rats. Psychopharmacology 209:85-94.
  • Eppolito, AK. and Gerak, LR. (2010) Tolerance to the rate-increasing and not rate-decreasing effects of pregnanolone in rats. Behav Pharmacol 21:736-744.
  • Gerak, LR., Galici, R. and France, CP. (2009) Self administration of heroin and cocaine in morphine-dependent and morphine-withdrawn monkeys. Psychopharmacology 403-411.
  • Gerak, LR. (2009) Selective changes in sensitivity to benzodiazepines, and not other positive GABAA modulators, in rats receiving flunitrazepam chronically. Psychopharmacolog 204:667-677
  • Leonard, ST., Gerak, LR., Delatte, MS., Moerschbaecher, JM., Winsauer, PJ. (2009) Relative potency and effectiveness of flunitrazepam, ethanol, and ß-CCE for disrupting the acquisition and retention of response sequences in rats. Behav Pharmacol 20:33-44.
  • Gerak, LR., Galici, R. and France, CP. (2008) Self administration of cocaine in monkeys receiving LAAM acutely or chronically. Physiol Behav 93:20-26.
  • Gerak, LR., Moerschbaecher, JM. and Winsauer PJ. (2008) Overlapping, but not identical, discriminative stimulus effects of the neuroactive steroid pregnanolone and ethanol. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 89:473-479.
  • Li, J., McMahon, LR., Gerak, LR., Becker, GL. and France, CP. (2008) Interactions between [Delta]9-tetrahydrocannabinol and mu opioid receptor agonists in rhesus monkeys: discrimination and antinociception. Psychopharmacology 199:199-208.
  • Becker, GL., Gerak, LR., Koek, W. and France CP. (2008) Antagonist-precipitated and discontinuation-induced withdrawal in morphine-dependent rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology 201:373-382.
  • Gerak, LR., McMahon, LR. and France, CP. (2008) Acute cross tolerance to midazolam and not pentobarbital and pregnanolone, after a single dose of chlordiazepoxide in monkeys discriminating midazolam. Behav Pharmacol 19:796-804.
  • Gerak, LR. and France, CP. (2007) Time-dependent decreases in apparent pA2 values for naltrexone studied in combination with morphine in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 193:315-321
Lisa Gerak
 

Lisa Gerak

Associate Professor/Research
Ph.D., Pharmacology
Louisiana State University Medical Center
New Orleans, Louisiana

Office: 210-567-0106
Email: gerak@uthscsa.edu

 
 

Keywords


benzodiazepine, neuroactive steroid, dependence, tolerance

 

Research Summary


Studies conducted in this laboratory examine the acute and chronic behavioral effects of benzodiazepines and other positive GABAA modulators, particularly neuroactive steroids. Benzodiazepine tolerance and dependence differentially alters the effects of positive GABAA modulators, depending on their site of action.

 

Our primary research goal is to investigate changes in GABAA receptor function with benzodiazepine tolerance and dependence, discover the nature of differences between the effects of neuroactive steroids and those of benzodiazepines, and determine whether these differences can be exploited for clinical benefit.


 

• Appointments, Boards, Committees and Memberships •

06/98-Present - College on Problems of Drug Dependence


11/93-Present - Society for Stimulus Properties of Drugs