Christopher McCurdy (Faculty Member is Retired, or has otherwise left the University)
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry
Phone Number: (662)915-5882
Email: cmccurdy@olemiss.edu
http://www.pharmacy.olemiss.edu/medicinal_chemistry/mccurdy.html

Key Words: new agents (either natural or synthetic) to treat pain, anxiety, and drug addiction

Research Description:

• Investigating new agents (either natural or synthetic) to treat pain, anxiety, and drug addiction
• Broad-spectrum antiparasitics/antibiotics and herbicides
• Investigation of the interaction of the non-nitrogenous kappa opioid receptor agents (salvinorin A and analogs) with opioid receptors in collaboration with Dr. David M. Ferguson of The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN and Dr. Kenneth J. Sufka, University of Mississippi.
• Design, Synthesis and Biological evaluation of sigma receptor antagonists for the potential treatment of cocaine and methamphetamine abuse and toxicities in collaboration with Dr. Rae Matsumoto in the Department of Pharmacology and Professor Jacques H. Poupaert, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
• Design and Synthesis of Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) non-peptide ligands based on receptor modeling studies in collaboration with Professor Jacques H. Poupaert, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
• Molecular modeling of the NOP (nociceptin opioid receptor) receptor and other opioid receptors to distinguish non-peptide binding modes as well as to determine selectivity.
• Design and Synthesis of Neuropeptide FF (NPFF) non-peptide ligands based on the active neuropeptide sequence in collaboration with Dr. Catherine Mollereaau-Manaute, CNRS Toulouse, France.
• DOXP reductoisomerase enzyme homology modeling and design of inhibitors for the development of broad-spectrum antiparasitic and antibiotic compounds.

Honors Theses:

Morris, Jacqueline (2017) Evaluation of Sigma Ligand AZ66 Analgesic Potentiation of Cannabinoids. (full text)

Stone, Jamie (2017) The Evaluation of AZ66, A Highly Selective Sigma-1 and Sigma-2 Receptor Antagonist, For Its Anti-Convulsive Effects in C57BL/6 Mice. (full text)

Miller, Jenn (2016) An Evaluation of the Relationship between Sigma-1 and Sigma-2 Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System. (full text)

Yi, John N (2016) Design and Synthesis of Dual Opioids/NPFF Ligands as Novel Analgesics with Reduced Tolerance Potential. (full text)

Ly, May (2015) Design and Synthesis of Sigma-1 Probe for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging. (full text)

Teng, Jason N. (2015) Evaluation of Dual-Activity Opioid-NPFF Ligands for Antinociception. (full text)

Shih, Jonathan (2013) "Investigation of Selective Sigma Receptor Ligands with Methamphetamine Antagonist Activity"

Xie, Jesse Juncong (2013) "Design and Synthesis of Selective Sigma Receptor Ligands with Cocaine Antagonist Activity"

Clark, Sarah Elizabeth (2009) “Design & Synthesis of Sigma-2 Receptor Ligands to Combat Cocaine Toxicity”

Green, Andrea Malone (2008) "Sigma-2 Receptor Antagonists with Anti-cocaine Activity"

Stubblefield, Ashley Jasmine (2007) "Synthesis of Novel Sigma Receptor Antagonists as Potential Anti-Cocaine Agents"

Swan, Joshua Taylor (2007) "Adrenoceptor Screening of Panamanian Plant Extracts"