Anne M. Andrews

Last updated
Anne M. Andrews
Alma mater Pennsylvania State University, American University, National Institute of Mental Health
Known forStudy of the serotonin system, Nanoscience, Neuroscience
Scientific career
Fields Neuroscience, Chemistry, Nanoscience
Institutions University of California, Los Angeles
Doctoral advisor Dr. Dennis L Murphy

Anne M. Andrews is an American academic, the Richard Metzner Endowed Chair in Clinical Neuropharmacology, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles. Andrews is known for her work on the study of the serotonin system with a special focus on how the serotonin transporter modulates complex behaviors including anxiety, mood, stress responsiveness, and learning and memory.

Contents

Career

Andrews' research career has been distinguished by advancing both basic and translational research questions in chemical neuroscience. She is the leader of an interdisciplinary research team at UCLA engaged in the development of innovative nanomaterial based in vivo biosensors for neurotransmitters. In addition to the design of new tools for neuroscience, her research team has established longstanding leadership in leveraging genetic and pharmacologic animal models to interrogate the molecular basis of function in the serotonin system and how this system interacts with other neurotransmitter networks. Such studies are promising for extending understanding of anxiety disorders and neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Andrews' research career has focused on the neurochemistry of the brain's serotonin system. One of her goals is the design of sensors which would be broadly applicable to all neurotransmitters, and other biologically relevant small molecules. [1] Andrews is a recipient of an NIH Director's Transformative Research Award in support of her research efforts to develop such sensors which would enable interrogating how information is encoded across diverse pathways associated with chemical neurotransmission. [2] Andrews was one of the earliest advocates for the BRAIN Initiative and has been a longstanding advocate for importance of supporting research at the nexus of nanoscience and neuroscience to support research advances in fields including chemical connectomics.

Education, research, and service

Andrews grew up in Pittsburgh and discovered her passion for science, and most especially chemistry, during her middle school science classes. [1] [3] She would go on to receive her B.S. in Chemistry Pennsylvania State University where during her time as a student she was an intern in the Toxicology and Forensic Pathology Departments at the Pittsburgh Coroner's Office. It was in this environment that Andrews has shared that she received a more nuanced exposure to bioanalytical chemistry, instrumentation, chromatography, and handling biological samples. [1] [3] Andrews would subsequently work as an analytical chemist at Hazleton Laboratories in Vienna, VA.

In support of her expanding research interests in the biomedical sciences, Andrews pursued and received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the American University where her thesis research was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Dennis L. Murphy at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIHM). Andrews was as an NIH Predoctoral Fellow and U.S. Department of Education Fellow during her graduate studies. After receiving her doctorate, Andrews continued her research at the NIMH as a postdoctoral fellow and subsequently was a senior staff fellow until 1998. During her time at the NIMH, Andrews was a leader in the earliest studies on animal models of serotonin transporter deficiencies. She also discovered and profiled a novel serotonin neurotoxin, 2'NH2-MPTP. Prior to joining the faculty at UCLA, Andrews was a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at her undergraduate alma mater Pennsylvania State University.

In the areas of service, Andrews is Associate Editor for the ACS Chemical Neuroscience journal. Andrews is President-elect of the International Society for Serotonin Research [2] and a member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, the Society for Neuroscience, the American Chemical Society, and the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry. At UCLA, Andrews is a member of the California Nanosystems Institute, [4] the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, [5] and the Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology. [6] Andrews was involved with the team proposal for the BRAIN Initiative and has also elaborated independently on the opportunities and potential associated with advancing such research frontiers, including for the study of chemical connectomics.

Notable publications

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurotransmitter</span> Chemical substance that enables neurotransmission

A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a synapse. The cell receiving the signal, or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monoamine transporter</span> Proteins that function as integral plasma-membrane transporters

Monoamine transporters (MATs) are proteins that function as integral plasma-membrane transporters to regulate concentrations of extracellular monoamine neurotransmitters. The three major classes are serotonin transporters (SERTs), dopamine transporters (DATs), and norepinephrine transporters (NETs) and are responsible for the reuptake of their associated amine neurotransmitters. MATs are located just outside the synaptic cleft (peri-synaptically), transporting monoamine transmitter overflow from the synaptic cleft back to the cytoplasm of the pre-synaptic neuron. MAT regulation generally occurs through protein phosphorylation and post-translational modification. Due to their significance in neuronal signaling, MATs are commonly associated with drugs used to treat mental disorders as well as recreational drugs. Compounds targeting MATs range from medications such as the wide variety of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as fluoxetine (Prozac) to stimulant medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine in its many forms and derivatives methamphetamine (Desoxyn) and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse). Furthermore, drugs such as MDMA and natural alkaloids such as cocaine exert their effects in part by their interaction with MATs, by blocking the transporters from mopping up dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters from the synapse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serotonin transporter</span> Mammalian protein found in humans

The serotonin transporter also known as the sodium-dependent serotonin transporter and solute carrier family 6 member 4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC6A4 gene. SERT is a type of monoamine transporter protein that transports the neurotransmitter serotonin from the synaptic cleft back to the presynaptic neuron, in a process known as serotonin reuptake.

Neurochemistry is the study of chemicals, including neurotransmitters and other molecules such as psychopharmaceuticals and neuropeptides, that control and influence the physiology of the nervous system. This particular field within neuroscience examines how neurochemicals influence the operation of neurons, synapses, and neural networks. Neurochemists analyze the biochemistry and molecular biology of organic compounds in the nervous system, and their roles in such neural processes including cortical plasticity, neurogenesis, and neural differentiation.

The vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) is a transport protein integrated into the membranes of synaptic vesicles of presynaptic neurons. It transports monoamine neurotransmitters – such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and histamine – into the vesicles, which release the neurotransmitters into synapses, as chemical messages to postsynaptic neurons. VMATs utilize a proton gradient generated by V-ATPases in vesicle membranes to power monoamine import.

Neuropharmacology is the study of how drugs affect function in the nervous system, and the neural mechanisms through which they influence behavior. There are two main branches of neuropharmacology: behavioral and molecular. Behavioral neuropharmacology focuses on the study of how drugs affect human behavior (neuropsychopharmacology), including the study of how drug dependence and addiction affect the human brain. Molecular neuropharmacology involves the study of neurons and their neurochemical interactions, with the overall goal of developing drugs that have beneficial effects on neurological function. Both of these fields are closely connected, since both are concerned with the interactions of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, neurohormones, neuromodulators, enzymes, second messengers, co-transporters, ion channels, and receptor proteins in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Studying these interactions, researchers are developing drugs to treat many different neurological disorders, including pain, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, psychological disorders, addiction, and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Weiss (nanoscientist)</span> American nanoscientist and academic

Paul S. Weiss is a leading American nanoscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles. He holds numerous positions, including UC Presidential Chair, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bioengineering, and of Materials Science and Engineering, and founder and editor-in-chief of ACS Nano. From 2019–2014, he held the Fred Kavli Chair in NanoSystems Sciences and was the director of the California NanoSystems Institute. Weiss has co-authored over 400 research publications and holds over 40 US and international patents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norepinephrine transporter</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

The norepinephrine transporter (NET), also known as noradrenaline transporter (NAT), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the solute carrier family 6 member 2 (SLC6A2) gene.

A serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (SNDRI), also known as a triple reuptake inhibitor (TRI), is a type of drug that acts as a combined reuptake inhibitor of the monoamine neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. It does this by concomitantly inhibiting the serotonin transporter (SERT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), and dopamine transporter (DAT), respectively. Inhibition of the reuptake of these neurotransmitters increases their extracellular concentrations and, therefore, results in an increase in serotonergic, adrenergic, and dopaminergic neurotransmission. The naturally-occurring and potent SNDRI cocaine is widely used recreationally and often illegally for the euphoric effects it produces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quipazine</span> Chemical compound

Quipazine is a serotonergic drug of the piperazine group which is used in scientific research. It was originally intended as an antidepressant but never developed for medical use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plasma membrane monoamine transporter</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

The plasma membrane monoamine transporter (PMAT) is a low-affinity monoamine transporter protein which in humans is encoded by the SLC29A4 gene. It is known alternatively as the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-4 (hENT4). It was discovered in 2004 and has been identified as a potential alternate target for treating various conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UWA-101</span> Chemical compound

UWA-101 is a phenethylamine derivative researched as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease. Its chemical structure is very similar to that of the illegal drug MDMA, the only difference being the replacement of the α-methyl group with an α-cyclopropyl group. MDMA has been found in animal studies and reported in unauthorised human self-experiments to be effective in the short-term relief of side-effects of Parkinson's disease therapy, most notably levodopa-induced dyskinesia. However the illegal status of MDMA and concerns about its potential for recreational use, neurotoxicity and potentially dangerous side effects mean that it is unlikely to be investigated for medical use in this application, and so alternative analogues were investigated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neurolixis</span>

Neurolixis is a biopharmaceutical company focused on novel drugs for the treatment of human central nervous system diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry</span> Method of chemical analysis

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is cyclic voltammetry with a very high scan rate (up to 1×106 V·s−1). Application of high scan rate allows rapid acquisition of a voltammogram within several milliseconds and ensures high temporal resolution of this electroanalytical technique. An acquisition rate of 10 Hz is routinely employed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Substituted phenylmorpholine</span> Class of chemical compounds

Substituted phenylmorpholines, or substituted phenmetrazines alternatively, are chemical derivatives of phenylmorpholine or of the psychostimulant drug phenmetrazine. Most such compounds act as releasers of monoamine neurotransmitters, and have stimulant effects. Some also act as agonists at serotonin receptors, and compounds with an N-propyl substitution act as dopamine receptor agonists. A number of derivatives from this class have been investigated for medical applications, such as for use as anorectics or medications for the treatment of ADHD. Some compounds have also become subject to illicit use as designer drugs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3-Chloromethcathinone</span> Stimulant designer drug

3-Chloromethcathinone, also known as clophedrone or 3-CMC, is a synthetic substance belonging to the cathinone class of psychoactive compounds. It is very similar in structure to other cathinone derivatives like metaphedrone (3-MMC) or clephedrone (4-CMC)., Unlike cathinone, which occurs naturally in the khat plant Catha edulis, 3-CMC is not found in nature and is solely produced through chemical synthesis.,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parastoo Hashemi</span> Irani-British neural engineer

Parastoo ("Parry") Hashemi is an Iranian-British neural engineer at Imperial College London.

B. Jill Venton is a professor of chemistry at University of Virginia, where she serves as the department chair since 2019. Venton's research focuses on developing analytical chemistry methods to enable detection of molecules in the brain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O-2390</span> Chemical compound

O-2390 is a recreational designer drug from the substituted cathinone family, which acts as a potent inhibitor of dopamine and noradrenaline reuptake in vitro, with weaker but still significant inhibition of serotonin reuptake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nako Nakatsuka</span> Japanese researcher

Nako Nakatsuka is a Japanese researcher and Assistant Professor of Neurotechnology at EPFL. Her research is focused on pioneering translational technologies that directly impact human health. Her research group, the Laboratory of Chemical Nanotechnology (CHEMINA) works at the intersection of chemistry, engineering, and neuroscience to develop innovative strategies to support patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. She was awarded the 2023 Prix Zonta.

References

  1. 1 2 3 McBournie B (2018-02-26). "Anne M. Andrews' Personal Story of Discovery". ACS Axial. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  2. 1 2 3 "ACS Chemical Neuroscience's Anne Andrews Wins NIH Award". ACS Axial. 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  3. 1 2 "Anne's Biography". research.chem.psu.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  4. ↑ "Members". California NanoSystems Institute. UCLA.
  5. ↑ "Anne Andrews". Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.
  6. ↑ "Hatos Faculty". Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology.
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