Gregory Carr, Ph.D.

About

Gregory Carr, Ph.D. is a Lead Investigator in the Drug Discovery Division of the Lieber Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences. Dr. Carr leads the in vivo pharmacology research group with the goal of identifying novel therapeutics for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Carr received a BA in Neuroscience from Kenyon College and his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Lieber Institute, Dr. Carr was a postdoctoral fellow in the Clinical Brain Disorders Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health and an adjunct instructor in the Department of Biology at Howard University.

Research

Psychiatric disorders and related neurodevelopmental disorders result from the complex interaction of multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. Our laboratory uses rodent models to determine how these risk factors modulate neurobiology and behavior. We utilize neurochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral assays to interrogate the neural systems thought to be abnormal in neurodevelopmental disorders. Our ultimate goal is to use this knowledge to inform drug discovery efforts designed to increase and improve the treatment options available for central nervous system disorders. We also conduct research focused on developing novel behavioral assays with increased translational value for screening novel therapeutics.

Selected Publications

Shaver A, Mahlum JD, Scida K, Johnston ML, Aller Pellitero M, Wu Y, Carr GV, Arroyo-Currás N. Optimization of Vancomycin Aptamer Sequence Length Increases the Sensitivity of Electrochemical, Aptamer-Based Sensors In Vivo. ACS Sens. 2022:7(12):3895-3905. Link

Su Y, DePasquale M, Liao G, Buchler I, Zhang G, Byers S, Carr GV, Barrow J, Wei H. Membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase is the dominant isoform for dopamine metabolism in PC12 cells and rat brain. Eur J Pharmacol. 2021: 896: 173909. Link

Noback M, Zhang G, White N, Barrow JC, Carr GV. Post-weaning social isolation increases ΔFosB/FosB protein expression in sex-specific patterns in the prelimbic/infralimbic cortex and hippocampus in mice. Neurosci Lett. 2021; 740: 135423. Link

Byers S, Buchler IP, DePasquale M, Rowley HL, Kulkarni RS, Pinder L, Kolobova A, Li C, Au V, Akuma D, Zhang G, Wei H, Cheetham SC, Barrow JC, Carr GV. Novel, non-nitrocatechol catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors modulate dopamine neurotransmission in the frontal cortex and improve cognitive flexibility. Accepted in Psychopharmacology 2020. Link

DeBrosse A, Wheeler AM, Barrow JC, Carr GV. Inhibition of Catechol-O-methyltransferase Does Not Alter Effort-Related Choice Behavior in a Fixed Ratio/Concurrent Chow Task in Male Mice. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 2020; 14:73. Link

Zhang G, Buchler IP, DePasquale M, Wormald M, Liao G, Wei H, Barrow JC, Carr GV. Development of a PC12 Cell Based Assay for Screening Catechol-O-methyltransferase Inhibitors. ACS Chemical Neurosci. 2019; 10(10):4221-4226. Link

Team Members

Carr Lab Team Members Include:

Mike DePasquale, Staff Scientist I
Ye Li, Staff Scientist I
Karen Scida, Staff Scientist I
Michael Noback, Graduate Student
Anum Afzal, Graduate Student
Sayo Falayi, Research Assistant

Curriculum Vitae

Download a PDF copy of my CV here.