Kenneth Sufka
Professor of Psychology
Phone Number: (662)915-7728
Email: pysufka@olemiss.edu

Key Words: Psychopharmacology; Behavioral Neuroscience

Research Description: My laboratory's research focuses on the development, validation and utilization of animal models of clinical syndromes. This work follows two lines. One is involved in models of chronic pain (currently focused on migraine and oncology pain) and analgesic drug discovery and the second is involved in stress-related affective disorders and antidepressant drug discovery. SMBHC students are encouraged to enroll in the prerequisite Psy 319 Brain and Behavior during the second term of the sophomore year to allow sufficient time to complete the their thesis research. Openings in this laboratory are limited and students must interview with Dr. Sufka before joining his research team. The student is also expected to comply with all University and Federal requirements for working with research animals.

Honors Theses:

Sowers, Blake (2017) Modeling Migraine Chronification and its Relief; the Effects of THC on Recurrent NTG-Induced Migraine Endpoints in Rats. (full text)

Markos, James Roland (2017) Cannabidiol Mitigates Opioid Reward On Conditioned Place Preference In Mice. (full text)

Anchor, Sydney M. (2016) Biochemical And Behavioral Effects Of Environmental Enrichment On Strain-Dependent Vulnerability To Anxiety And Depression In The Chick Separation Stress Paradigm. (full text)

Fountain, Emily Mae (2016) The Effects of Sceletium tortuosum in the Chick Anxiety-Depression Model. (full text)

Criddle, Catherine (2015) A Comparison of Mitragyna Speciosa and Mitragynine Against Opioids on Thermal Nociception in Rats. (full text)

Johnson, Ainslee (2014) Validation of a recurrent nitroglycerin migraine model in the rat. (full text)

Staszko, Stephanie (2014) Modeling Nitroglycerin-Induced Migraine in Rats. (full text)

Davis, Morgan Elizabeth (2014) The Effect of Sumatriptan on Clinically Relevant Behavioral Endpoints in a Recurrent Nitroglycerin Migraine Model in Rats. (full text)

Robbins, Susan Alexandra (2013) "Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Stress Response in Vulnerable and Resilient Chick Strains"

Burson, Hannah Elizabeth (2012) "Conditioned Place Preference as a Means to Measure Analgesic Drug Effects on Cancer Pain in Murine Models"

Bolen, Samuel Paul (2010) "Cognitive Bias as a Validation Step in the Chick Anxiety-Depression Continuum"

Loria, Melissa Jane (2010)

Wasson, Katie Lauren (2010) "Miczek and de Wit's Translational Principles and the Chick Anxiety-Depression Continuum"

Park, Sue Jung (2009) "The Comparative effects of cannabidiol against a cannabinoid receptor1 agonist and antagonist in the chick anxiety-depression model"

Pulaski, Cassan Nicole (2008) "The Effects of the GABA-B Antagonist in the Chick Anxiety-Depression Continuum Paradigm"

Weldon, Morgan Vinsonhaler (2008) "The Case for Animal Emotions: Modeling Neuropsychiatric Disorders "

Johnson, Erin Kathleen (2007) "Influence of Carrageenan-Induced Nociception on Separation-Induced Distress Vocalizations and Hyperthermia in Domestic Fowl Chicks"

Louviere, Lindsey Marie (2007) "The Effects of Habituation on Separation-Distress Vocalizations in the Anxiety-Depression Continuum"

Rainey, Elizabeth Paige (2007) "Pharmacological Dissociation of Anxiety State in the Elevated Star Maze in Chicks"

Vance, Ralph Brooks (2006) "The Effect of Carrageenan-Induced Inflammatory Nociception on Distress Vocalizations and the Anxiolytic Efficacy of Drugs in the Chick Separation Stress Paradigm."

Wicks, Robert Thomas (2006) Pharmacological Dissociation of Anxiety Model in the Chick Separation Stress Paradigm

Cartwright, Courtney M. (2005) “Corticosterone Response in a Learned Helplessness Model of Depression”

Holt, Jessica Jean (2003) "Ischemia Pre-conditioning and the Effects of Nitric Oxide Synthase" (full text)

Guth, Amanda Nicole (2002) "Anxiolytic Screening in Chick Social-Separation Stress Procedure: A Validation Study"

Purser, Amelia Arwen (2002) "The Effect of Conspecific Social Facilitation on Distress Vocalizations and Stress-Induced Analgesia in the Chick Social-Separation-Stress Procedure"