Carl Potenzieri Entering Class - 2004 E-mail: poten001@umn.edu Advisor: Donald Simone, Ph.D.

Research Interests:

The analgesic properties of cannabis have been noted for centuries. However, the use of cannabis to treat pain is limited due to its psychoactive properties and abuse liability. Previous studies using models of both acute and persistent pain have demonstrated that locally administered cannabinoid receptor agonists produce peripherally mediated antihyperalgesia. These studies suggest that targeting peripheral cannabinoid receptors maybe a useful therapeutic approach to treat pain. We are interested in determing how locally administered cananbinoids affect primary afferent nociceptors.

Selected Publications:

Bell , K., Shokrian, D., Potenzieri, C., and Whitaker-Azmitia, P.M. Harm avoidance, anxiety, and response to novelty in the adolescent S-100beta transgenic mouse: role of serotonin and relevance to Down syndrome. Neuropyschopharmacology 28: 1810-1816, 2003.

Selected Abstracts:

Carl Potenzieri and Donald A. Simone. Activation of cutaneous C nociceptors by exogenous anandamide. San Diego, CA : Society for Neuroscience Abstract, 2007. Online.