Education

B.S., Psychology, Washington & Lee University, Lexington, VA, 2002
Ph.D., Molecular & Systems Pharmacology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 2008
2nd year FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow, 2008-present

Research Statement

What causes cocaine addiction?
My research has focused on varying neurotransmitter systems and their receptors in regions of the brain that have been shown to be involved in cocaine abuse and addiction. Currently I am studying the role of norepinephrine and adrenergic receptors in the mesolimbic pathway using a combination of anatomical and behavioral techniques.  We are trying to determine the location of these receptors and if they are affected by exposure to cocaine and how these receptors may be targeted as potential treatments for cocaine addiction.

Publications

Rommelfanger, K.S., Mitrano, D.A., Smith, Y., Weinshenker, D. (2009) Light and electron microscopic localization of alpha-1 adrenergic receptor immunoreactivity in the rat striatum and ventral midbrain. Neuroscience, 158: 1530-1540.

Mitrano, D.A. & Smith, Y. (2008) Differential glutamatergic innervation of mGluR1a- and mGluR5-containing neurons in the rat nucleus accumbens (Manuscript in preparation).

Mitrano, D.A., Arnold, C., Smith, Y. (2008) Subcellular and subsynaptic localization of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors in the nucleus accumbens of cocaine-treated rats.  Neuroscience, 154:653-666. 

Mitrano, D.A. & Smith, Y. (2007) Comparative analysis of the subcellular and subsynaptic localization of mGluR1a and mGluR5 metabotropic glutamate receptors in the shell and core of the nucleus accumbens in rat and monkey.  The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 500:788-806.

Bonsi, P., Sciamanna, G., Mitrano, D.A., Cuomo D, Bernardi G, Smith Y, Pisani A. (2007). Functional and ultrastructural analysis of group I mGluR in striatal fast-spiking interneurons.  European Journal of Neuroscience, 25:1319-1331.

Jaworski, J.N., Kimmel, H.L., Mitrano, D.A., Tallarida, R.J., & Kuhar, M.J. (2007) Intra-VTA CART 55-102 reduces the locomotor effect of cocaine: an isobolographic analysis. Neuropeptides, 41:65-72.

Emory University School of Medicine
Department of Human Genetics
Weinshenker Lab
3rd Floor Whitehead Biomedical Research Bldg.
615 Michael Street
Atlanta, GA  30322
Tel: 404.712.8266
dmitran@emory.edu