Robert Pechnick, PhD
Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmacology Discipline Leader
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Join year: October 2012
- 1985 - 1986 NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology University of California at Los Angeles
- 1983 - 1985 NIMH Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology University of California at Los Angeles
- 1982 Ph.D. in Pharmacology University of California at Los Angeles
- 1973 B.A. in Psychology University of California at San Diego
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, UCLA, Los Angeles CA, 1985-86
NIMH Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles CA, 1983-85
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2012 – Present Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmacology Discipline Leader Department of Biomedical Sciences
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Western University of Health Sciences - 2013 – 2017 Professor of Pharmacology Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences Western University of Health Sciences
- 2002 - 2012 Professor of Psychiatry Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
- 2010 – 2012 Professor of Biomedical Sciences Department of Biomedical Sciences Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- 2000 – 2012 Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Director of Research Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- 1996 Promotion to Tenured Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Department of Pharmacology Louisiana State University, New Orleans
- 1993 - 1999 Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Department of Pharmacology Louisiana State University, New Orleans
- 1993 - 1993 Visiting Assistant Research Pharmacologist UCLA Department of Pharmacology
- 1988 - 1992 Adjunct Assistant Professor UCLA Department of Pharmacology
- 1986 - 1988 Assistant Research Pharmacologist UCLA Department of Pharmacology
- Professor of Pharmacology, Western University of Health Sciences, COMP, 2012-present
- Professor of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 2002-2012
- Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 2010-2012
- Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 2000-2012
- Promotion to Tenured Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, 1996
- Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans 1993-1999
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, UCLA, 1988-1992
- Fundamentals of Osteopathic Medicine 2
- Fundamentals of Osteopathic Medicine 5
- Fundamentals of Osteopathic Medicine 6
- Fundamentals of Osteopathic Medicine 8 (Co-Block Lead)
The research in my laboratory has focused on three aspects of neuropsychopharmacology: using rodent animal models to understand the causes of and to develop new potential treatments for various forms of mental illness; utilizing both in vivo and in vitro approaches to study the neuropharmacology of drugs of abuse; and defining the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in health and disease states. Recent goals include: defining the involvement of cytokines and stress in adult hippocampal neurogenesis and depression; determining how antidepressant drugs stimulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis; and understanding the role of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in post-chemotherapy-induced deficits in cognitive function (i.e., “chemobrain”).
- PC150494 8/01/16 – 7/30/20 Agency: Department of the Army Total costs $535,496 Title: Androgen Deprivation Therapy and Cognitive Impairment Role: Principle Investigator
- 1 R43 DA041758-01 Richardson (PI) 3/01/16 – 9/30/16 Agency: NIDA/NIH Total costs $25,253 Title: AniStat: A Statistical Design Tool for Animal Researchers Role: Co-Investigator (subcontract)
- 1R01NS076794-01 Town (PI) 9/30/11 – 9/30/12 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Town) $365,313 Peripheral TGF-Beta Pathway Inhibitor Therapy in Alzheimer's Rats Role: Co-Investigator
- R21AG033394-01 9/30/09 – 8/31/12 National Institute on Aging (Cohen) Total costs $225,500 The Role of CD8+ T cells in a Rat Model of Alzheimer’s Disease Role Co-Investigator
- BC075629 9/01/08 – 4/30/10 US Army $121,875 Basic Mechanisms Underlying Post-Chemotherapy Cognitive Impairment Role: Principal Investigator Joseph Drown Foundation (Wheeler) 10/15/2008 – 10/14/2010 Total costs $50,000 CD8 T Cell Involvement in Alzheimer’s-Like Pathology in Mice Role: Co-Investigator
- NARSAD (Chesnokova) 9/15/09 – 9/14/10 Total costs $100,000 Inflammation-Induced Depression: Contribution of Hippocampal Neurogenesis Role: Co-Investigator Brain Cells, Inc. 03/18/10-3/19/11 Behavioral Effects of BCI-838 Total costs $89,583 Role: Principal Investigator
- 1R21DA021805 4/01/08 – 3/31/11 National Institute on Drug Abuse $275,000 Viral-Mediated GDNF Expression and Cocaine Addiction Role: Principal Investigator
- 1R01DA021249 4/01/08 – 7/31/14 National Institute on Drug Abuse $1,000,000 Nicotine Addiction: Influence of Prenatal and Adolescent Exposure Role: Principal Investigator
- 1R21MH79988 (Chesnokova) 12/01/07 – 11/30/10 National Institute of Mental Health $275,000 Role of p21 in Antidepressant-Induced Neurogenesis Role: Co-Investigator
- 1U01NS052465 (Castro) 04/01/07 – 03/31/12 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke $1,784,050 Gutless Adenovirus-Mediated Gene Therapy for Glioma Role: Co-Investigator 1R21MH079370 7/01/07 – 5/31/10 National Institute of Mental Health $275,000 Viral-Mediated Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH) Expression and Depression Role: Principal Investigator
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Western University Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, 2024
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Golden Apple Award, Outstanding Student Mentor of the Year, Western University College of Medicine, 2022
- Best Class Advisor, Psychiatry Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2012)
- College on Problems of Drug Dependence Travel Award
- Copping Excellence in Basic Science Teaching Award, Louisiana State University, New Orleans (1999)
- Copping Excellence in Basic Science Teaching Award Nominee, Louisiana State University, New Orleans (1997, 1998)
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Award for Excellence in Education (2008)
- Dean¿s Award for Faculty Excellence, College of Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences (2019)
- Giannini Foundation Fellowship
- Golden Apple Award, Western University College of Medicine, 2021
- Gordon Conference Travel Award
- Institute for Medical Educators Student Focus Award, Western University of Health Sciences (2016)
- Medical Student Teaching Award, UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences (2006, 2011)
- Mental Health Training Fellowship ¿ National Institute of Mental Health
- National Research Service Award ¿ National Institute of General Medical Sciences
- Neuroendocrinology Postdoctoral Training Fellowship ¿ NIH
- Outstanding Basic Science Faculty Award, College of Medicine Class of 2017, Western University of Health Sciences (2014)
- Outstanding Basic Science Faculty Award, College of Medicine Class of 2018, Western University of Health Sciences (2015)
- Outstanding Basic Science Faculty Award, College of Medicine Class of 2020, Western University of Health Sciences (2017)
- Outstanding Teacher Award, UCLA School of Medicine (1991, 1992)
- Reuben H. Fleet Foundation Award
- J.Thomas Ungerleider Substance Abuse Prevention/Education Lectureship, UCLA School of Medicine (1997)
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- College on Problems of Drug Dependence
- Division of Behavioral Pharmacology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- Division of Neuropharmacology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- Division of Pharmacology Education, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience
- International Society for Serotonin Research
- Member, National Faculty in the Department of Foundational Biomedical Sciences – Pharmacology, National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners
- Sigma Xi
- Society for Neuroscience
- Chair, Pharmacology Faculty Search Committee
- Proposal and Innovation Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee
- Implementation Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee
- Curriculum Response Task Force
- Board Advisor Task Force
- Travel Awards and Mentoring Committee, College on Problems of Drug Dependence
- Curricular Guide for Revision, Task Force, Council of Faculties of the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine
- IsHak, W.W., Meyer, A., Freire, L., Totlani, J., Murphy, N., Renteria, S., Salem, M, Chang, T., Abdelsalam, R., Khan, R., Chandy, T. Parrish, T, Patel, B., Steiner, A.J., Kim, S., Hedrick, R., Pechnick, R.N. and Danovitch, I. Overview of Psychiatric Medication in the Pipeline Phase III as of June 1, 2024: A Systematic Review. Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, submitted.
- Panwar, A, Rentsendorj, A., Jhun, M., Cohen, R.M., Cordner, R., Gull, N.M., Pechnick, R.N., Duvall, G., Mardiros, A., Golchian, D., Schubloom, H., Jin, L-W., Van Dam, D.,Vermeiren, Y., DeRe, H., De Deyn, P.P., Raskatov, J.A., Black, K.L., Irvin, D.K., Williams, B.A. and Wheeler, C.J. Antigen-specific age-related memory CD8 T cells induce and track Alzheimer's-like neurodegeneration. Proceed Natl Acad Sci, in press.
- IsHak, W.W., Totlani. J, Murphy. N., Renteria. S., Chang, T., Abdelsalam, R., Salem, M., Meyer, A., Khan, R., Chandy, T., Tadros, E.,Hirsch, D., Chernoff, R.A., Kim, S., Irwin, S., Hedrick, R., Danovitch, I. and Pechnick, R.N. Overview of approved psychiatric medications 2008-2023: A systematic review. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews. 2024, 21(03), 885–915.
- Lutfy, K., Pechnick R.N. and Darmani N.A. (Editorial: Pharmacology of New Psychoactive Substances, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 14: 1208957, published online 2023 May 9.doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1208957.
- Jhun, M., Panwar A., Cordner R., Irvin, DK., Veiga, L., Yeager N, Pechnick R.N., Schubloom, H.,Black, K. and Wheeler. C.J.CD103 Deficiency Promotes Autism (ASD) and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Behavioral Spectra and Reduces Age-Related Cognitive Decline.Front. Neurol., 23 December 2020.
- Chesnokova, V., Pechnick, R.N. and Wawrowsky, K.Chronic Peripheral Inflammation, Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Behavior.Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 2016 Jan 21. pii: S0889-1591(16)30017-4. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.01.017.
- Chesnokova, V. and Pechnick, R.N.New Signaling Pathway for Gut-Brain Interactions.“Hot Topic”. Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews 41: 372-3, 2016.
- Zonis, S., Pechnick, R.N., Ljubimov, V.A., Mahgerefteh, M., Wawrowsky, K., Michelsen, K.S. and Chesnokova, V. Chronic intestinal Inflammation Alters Hippocampal Neurogenesis.Journal of Neuroinflammation 12: 65, 2015.
- Wheeler, C.J., Seksenyan, A., Koronyo, Y., Rentsendorj, A., Sarayba, D., Wu, H., Gragg, A., Siegel, E., Thomas, D., Espinosa, A., Thompson, K., Black, K., Koronyo-Hamaoui, M., Pechnick, R.N.and Irvin, D.K.T-Lymphocyte Deficiency Exacerbates Behavioral Deficits in the 6-OHDA Unilateral Lesion Rat Model for Parkinson’s Disease.Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology 5, pii: 2019, 2014.