User:Nielsenda

Dr. Nielsen graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Biochemistry. He obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from The University of Chicago where he studied insulin gene expression. He has investigated hormone control of mRNA stability at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and the genetics of alcoholism at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse, NIH. He has been involved in bioinformatics at InforMax, Inc. and has investigated the genetics of heroin addiction as an Assistant Professor at The Rockefeller University. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Nielsen has studied the genetics of drug addiction vulnerability since 1990 and the genetics of response to pharmacotherapies since 2006. He has published extensively on the genetics of vulnerability to develop addictions and the subjective effects of cocaine. His current research focuses on genetic and epigenetic mechanisms determining vulnerability to develop psychiatric disorders including drug addiction, response to pharmacotherapy, the genetics of suicidality, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Studies are underway assessing the pharmacogenetic components that modulate the therapeutic response of several drugs for the treatment of cocaine addiction, the genetic and epigenetic components of impulsivity and suicidality, and vulnerability to develop cocaine addiction. He also is investigating the epigenetics of TBI and PTSD, and alcohol-related transgenerational alterations. Previously, he has been the lead scientist in genome-wide association studies on the vulnerability to develop heroin addiction, and the association of μ-opioid OPRM1 gene DNA methylation patterns with heroin addiction. In other studies, he has created bioinformatic tools for use in clinical/genetic studies and in research. Dr. Nielsen has demonstrated functional mechanisms for several genetic variants. In summary, he has numerous publications in research projects ranging from human genetics and epigenetics to molecular biology studies. His research activities have ranged from in vitro studies in cultured cell lines to studies in rodents and humans.