Department of Psychiatry Faculty

Robert T. Malison, MD Associate Professor Psychiatry Director, Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit Director, Neuroscience Research Training Program Ribicoff Research Facilities 34 Park St. - CMHC Tel: 203-789-7337 Fax: 203-789-7651 Email: robert_malison@qm.yale.edu

Education

1982, B.A., Williams College
1987, M.D., Yale Univ. School of Medicine
Residency: Yale Univ. School of Medicine

Research Interest

Our group is interested in the neurobiology and genetics of substance dependence disorders, with a particular focus on psychostimulant (cocaine and methamphetamine) dependence. Methodologies employed vary, and include human laboratory methods (e.g., human fixed-ratio, progressive ratio, and virtual reality conditioned place preference) designed to evaluate the regulation of cocaine self-administration, reinforcement, and cocaine behavioral effects (e.g., euphoria, paranoia). We are currently exploring via pharmacogenetic methods the mechanistic importance of dopamine beta-hydroxylase in disulfiram's therapeutic efficacy in cocaine abuse. Concurrent with this work, we have used both human laboratory and novel case-control/affected sibling pair methods to explore risk factors for cocaine-induced paranoia. More recently, our 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 dopamein reuptake inhibitor, modafinil. Finally, in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, we are undertaking a feasibility study of the genetics of opioid and methamphetamine dependence in a northern Thai (Hmong) hill tribe population.

Publications of Note

Malison RT, Best SE, van Dyck CH, McCance EF, Wallace EA, Laruelle M, Baldwin RM, Seibyl JP, Price LH, Kosten TR, Innis RB. Elevated striatal dopamine transporters in acute cocaine abstinence as measured by [123I]ß-CIT SPECT. Am J Psychiatry 155:832-834, 1998.

Malison RT, Price LH, Berman R, Pelton GH, Carpenter L, Sanacora G, Owens M, Nemeroff CB, Rajeevan N, Baldwin RM, Seibyl JP, Innis RB, Charney DS. Reduced brain serotonin transporter availability in major depression as measured by [123I]ß-carbomethoxy-3ß-(4-iodophenyl)tropane and single photon emission computed tomography. Biological Psychiatry 44:1090-1098, 1998).

Sughondhabirom A, Jain D, Gueorguieva R, Coric V, Berman R, Lynch WJ, Self D, Jatlow P, Malison RT. A paradigm to investigate the self-regulation of cocaine administration in humans. Psychopharmacology 180:436-446, 2005.

Morgan PT, Pace-Schott EF, Sahul ZH, Coric V, Stickgold R, Malison RT. Deficits in sleep, sleep-dependent procedural learning and vigilance in chronic cocaine users: evidence for occult insomnia. Drug & Alcohol Dependence (in press).

Kalayasiri R, Kranzler HR, Weiss R, Brady K, Gueorguieva R, Panhuysen C, Yang B-Z, Farrer L, Gelernter J, Malison RT. Risk factors for cocaine-induced paranoia in cocaine-dependent sibling pairs. Drug and Alcohol Dependence (in press).

Lynch WJ, Gueorguieva R, Pittman B, Sughondhabirom A, Joshua D, Morgan P, Coric V, Malison RT. A paradigm to investigate the regulation of cocaine self-administration in humans: a fully randomized trial. Psychopharmacology (in press).

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