Faculty & Research

George Breese, Ph.D.

Division Head
Preclinical Neuropsychopharmacology &
Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies

Professor
Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology

Research Scientist
Neurosciences Center

Office | 3007 Thurston-Bowles Bldg, CB 7178

Email | george_breese@med.unc.edu

Lab Website | Preclinical Neuropsychopharmacology

Research Interests

More on Dr. Breese's Research History

• Molecular Basis for Ethanol-GABA Interactions

• Molecular Basis of Ethanol Action on NMDA Receptors

• CNS Transmitters Involved in Withdrawal-Induced Anxiety Gene Therapy and Seizures

• Theory of the Role of Stress in Relapse in Alcoholism

• Neurobiology of Lesch-Nyhan Disease

• Neurobiology of Anti-Depressant Drugs

• Neurobiology of D1 Dopamine Receptors

Center Line Articles

• Breese Laboratory Advances Kindling Model as Framework for Understanding the Behavioral Pathology of Alcoholism (Vol. 17, No.2, 2006)

• When Abstinence Can Be Harmful: The Dangers of Repeated Withdrawals from Alcohol (Vol 13, No. 1, 2002)

Recent Publications

Click here for a full list of publications from PubMed

Click here for selected publications from Author

Knapp DJ, Overstreet DH, Angel RA, Navarro M, Breese GR. The amygdala regulates the antianxiety sensitization effect of flumazenil during repeated chronic ethanol or repeated stress. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Nov;31(11):1872-82.

Kelm MK, Criswell HE, Breese GR. Calcium release from presynaptic internal stores is required for ethanol to increase spontaneous gamma-aminobutyric acid release onto cerebellum Purkinje neurons. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2007 Oct;323(1):356-64.

Overstreet DH, Knapp DJ, Breese GR.  Drug challenges reveal differences in mediation of stress facilitation of voluntary alcohol drinking and withdrawal-induced anxiety in alcohol-preferring P rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Sep;31(9):1473-81.

Breese GR, Knapp DJ, Overstreet DH, Navarro M, Wills TA, Angel RA. Repeated Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Cytokine Treatments Sensitize Ethanol Withdrawal-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2007 Jun 6; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 17551540 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Knapp DJ, Overstreet DH, Breese GR. Baclofen blocks expression and sensitization of anxiety-like behavior in an animal model of repeated stress and ethanol withdrawal. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Apr;31(4):582-95.

Qin L, Wu X, Block ML, Liu Y, Breese GR, Hong JS, Knapp DJ, Crews FT. Systemic LPS causes chronic neuroinflammation and progressive neurodegeneration. Glia. 2007 Apr 1;55(5):453-62.

Blake BL, Muehlmann AM, Egami K, Breese GR, Devine DP, Jinnah HA.  Nifedipine Suppresses Self-Injurious Behaviors in Animals. Dev Neurosci. 2006 Oct 17.

Kasim S, Blake BL, Fan X, Chartoff E, Egami K, Breese GR, Hess EJ, Jinnah HA. The role of dopamine receptors in the neurobehavioral syndrome provoked by activation of L-type calcium channels in rodents. Dev Neurosci. 2006;28(6):505-17.

Ming Z, Criswell HE, Yu G, Breese GR. Competing presynaptic and postsynaptic effects of ethanol on cerebellar purkinje neurons. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2006 Aug;30(8):1400-7.

Overstreet DH, Knapp DJ, Angel RA, Navarro M, Breese GR.  Reduction in repeated ethanol-withdrawal-induced anxiety-like behavior by site-selective injections of 5-HT (1A) and 5-HT (2C) ligands.  Psychopharmacology (Berl).  2006 July; 187(1): 1-12.