Research Team
William E. Fantegrossi, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Fantegrossi trained as a behavioral pharmacologist at the University of Michigan and the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. When not lifting weights or slaying imaginary dragons, his research focuses on the behavioral pharmacology of emerging drugs of abuse, including designer psychostimulants (“bath salts”), cannabinoids (“K2 / Spice” products), and hallucinogens. His lab employs a variety of in vivo assays to study drug actions, including biotelemetry, intravenous drug self-administration, conditioned place preference, drug discrimination, operant behavior, antinociception, and drug-elicited behaviors. The ultimate goal of these studies is to better understand the abuse-related effects of novel pharmacological entities in order to inform clinicians, develop therapeutic strategies, and guide legislation.
Michael Berquist, Ph.D. (T32 Post-Doctoral Trainee)
Dr. Berquist is a post-doctoral trainee working under the NIDA T32 Translational Training in Addiction grant (Director: Clint Kilts, Ph.D.). He is jointly mentored by Dr. Fantegrossi and Dr. Owens in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. He is primarily interested in investigating the in vivo effects of psychoactive substances using a variety of preclinical experimental procedures and in determining the behavioral effects of drug mixtures. With a strong background in behavioral statistics and experimental design, Michael also enjoys exploring novel data path analyses for psychopharmacological experiments.
Bill Hyatt, B.A. (Ph.D. Candidate)
William Hyatt has been in the Fantegrossi lab as a SURF student, as a lab technician, as a medical school honors research student, and finally as a graduate portion of his MD/PhD education. When not giving Dr. Fantegrossi a hard time or slaying real dragons, his primary research focus is investigating the long term consequences of synthetic cathinones, or as they are more commonly known, “bath salts.” Specifically, he is interested in the relationship between impulsivity and synthetic cathinones MDPV and alpha-PVP administration and potential increases in risky behaviors and adverse outcomes.
Catheryn Wilson, B.S. (Ph.D. Candidate)
Catheryn is a graduate student in the Fantegrossi Lab and Prather Lab. Her research focuses on studying the effects of synthetic cannabinoids using in vivo and in vitro approaches.
Lauren Russell, B.S. (Ph.D. Candidate)
Lauren is a graduate student in the Fantegrossi Lab. Her research interests are neuro degeneration.
Kyle Urquhart, B.S. (Ph.D. Candidate)
Kyle is a graduate student in the Fantegrossi Lab. His research interests are in the effects of drugs of abuse on behavior and the biological mechanisms responsible for producing these effects. He is specifically focusing his training on the behavioral pharmacology of synthetic opioids.
Jyoti Gogoi, M.Sc, MBA (Research Technician)
Jyoti is a technician working on a DEA/FDA contract. She is responsible for the assessment of biological activity of synthetic drugs of abuse, including novel opioid and cannabinoid analogues. Various mouse and rat assays are used to determine relative potency of these compounds as compared to known standards (i.e., morphine and THC), duration of action, and abuse-related effects. These data will ultimately be used by DEA to make scheduling recommendations for these drugs under the Controlled Substances Act.