Preclinical Contract Research

>> Get Directions from Google Maps to here

• Catamount Research & Development and Med Associates is committed to excellence in basic research.
• Catamount Research & Development and Med Associates has a dedicated research staff made up of a Ph.D. scientist and lab technicians.
• Members of our Scientific Board of Directors, made up of industry-recognized experts, are involved with each project.

Scientific Staff  •  Scientific Board of Directors  •  Services Offered
  Resources • Training & Demonstration

Gerald M. Herrera, Ph.D.

President, Catamount Research & Development

Vice President of Research and Development at Med Associates

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Herrera obtained his Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics from The University of Vermont (UVM) in 2001, where he studied smooth muscle excitation-contraction coupling. He is an expert in muscle physiology, specializing in the smooth muscle that lines hollow organs. Dr. Herrera is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Pharmacology at UVM, and maintains active research collaborations with academic colleagues. His research interests include the physiology and pathophysiology of the urinary bladder, smooth muscle excitation-contraction coupling, electrophysiology of smooth muscle cells, cellular calcium signal transduction pathways, and integrative physiology. Dr. Herrera joined Med Associates full-time in early 2004. Since that time, he has been involved with new product development, contract research, and technical writing. Dr. Herrera has served on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at UVM since 2001, and is also a member of the IACUC at Med Associates.

Dr. Nelson obtained his Ph.D. in 1980 studying Neural Sciences at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. The overall goal of the research in Dr. Nelson's laboratory is to understand the control of smooth muscle cell function by the cell membrane. A combined approach, utilizing single cell isolation, single channel and macroscopic recording techniques, intracellular calcium and calcium spark measurements using conventional fluorescent imaging techniques, laser scanning, and confocal microscopy, diameter and membrane potential measurements in intact pressurized arteries, and expression of ion channels, is used to examine the properties of calcium and potassium channels and ryanodine-sensitive calcium release channels. Calcium and potassium channels are the sites of action of several types of drugs that are used to treat cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension and angina. To understand the mechanism of action of these important drugs, the effects of these agents on calcium and potassium channel behavior are being investigated.

Dr. Nelson is considered one of the world's leading experts in smooth muscle function, and has authored well over 125 peer-reviewed manuscripts. His publications are often hailed as landmarks in the field and are frequently used for teaching purposes in graduate courses throughout the world. Many of his publications have topped several hundred citations. Dr. Nelson's classic 1989 Science paper entitled "Hyperpolarizing vasodilators activate ATP-sensitive K+ channels in arterial smooth muscle" currently stands at well over 1,000 citations. A recent survey of the prestigious journal "The American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology" indicates that five out of the top 20 cited publications in this journal derive from the Nelson Laboratory at The University of Vermont. Dr. Nelson is currently ranked at number 26 in the world in the "Top Ranked Researchers" list published by IonChannels.org.

Dr. Anagnostaras obtained his Ph.D. in Psychology in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Fanselow at the University of California, Los Angeles studying the neural basis of Pavlovian fear conditioning. After completing his graduate studies, Dr. Anagnostaras went on to train as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Professor Alcino Silva at UCLA.  He is a well-respected young scientist and already has several high-impact publications in the field. He has taught undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in the Neurosciences, as well as serving as Course Organizer for the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Summer Course on Mouse Behavioral Analysis.

The general aim of Dr. Anagnostaras' research is to combine the molecular-genetic, systems, and cognitive-behavioral levels to understand how the brain produces behavior and cognition. A major emphasis in this endeavor is bridging systems and molecular approaches using hippocampus-dependent learning, in particular, learning about context. The hippocampal-neocortical memory system offers an excellent opportunity in which the molecular and cognitive levels may be first plainly joined. Long-term objectives of Dr. Anagnostaras' research are to advance our understandings of the mechanisms of memory, cognition, and drug addiction.

Dr. Dworkin received his undergraduate training in psychology at the University of Maryland and earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Florida. Dr. Dworkin completed post-doctoral training in neuroscience at the LSU Medical Center and has held tenured positions at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport in psychiatry and pharmacology and the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Pharmacology and Physiology. He is currently a distinguished professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Dr. Dworkin has established international recognition for his research on the neuropsychopharmacology of abused substances. He has received both private and NIH funding and has published extensively in several areas including behavior analysis, behavior pharmacology and the neuroscience of addiction. Dr. Dworkin is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and a member of ASPET, CPDD, the Society for Neuroscience and ABA International. He has reviewed manuscripts for the major journals in the field and served on NIH and NIDA study sections.

Dr. Falls obtained his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1993. Research in the Falls Lab is focused on examining the neurobiology of learning, memory and emotion. We utilize Pavlovian fear conditioning procedures in rats and mice to examine the neural systems involved in the acquisition, expression and inhibition of conditioned fear. Fear is measured in our laboratory using the fear-potentiated startle paradigm. In the fear-potentiated startle paradigm conditioned fear is assessed by measuring the amplitude of acoustic startle in the presence and absence of a fear-eliciting stimulus. Conditioned fear is operationally defined as elevated startle amplitude in the presence versus the absence of the fear-eliciting stimulus. Pavlovian conditioned fear procedures are thought to model many aspects of fear and anxiety in humans. Indeed, phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder are thought to reflect pathological fear responses acquired through Pavlovian conditioning. Individuals with these disorders exhibit exaggerated fear in certain situations (i.e., in the presence of the phobic stimulus) that may reflect aberrant activity in the neural circuits responsible for the acquisition, expression or inhibition of fear. Thus, by examining these neural systems we will better understand the etiology of these disorders and may begin to develop new and more effective treatments.

Dr. Mawe graduated with a BS, with Distinction, in Biology at The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA. He received his PhD in Anatomy at The Ohio State University, OH, USA. During his post-doctoral studies at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, NY, USA, Dr. Mawe, in collaboration with Dr. Gershon and Dr. Branchek, was the first to identify the responses of gut neurons to 5-HT 3 receptor activation, and identified the 5-HT 1P receptor that mediates serotonergic-synaptic transmission in the enteric nervous system. He is now Professor of the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of Vermont, VT, USA.

In Vermont, Dr. Mawe has established an internationally recognized research program that focuses on how the nervous system regulates motor activity in the intestines and biliary tract in normal and pathological conditions. He has received several awards, including the Janssen Award for Basic or Clinical Research in Gastrointestinal Sciences, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation Award in Excellence. He also received the Basmajian/Williams & Wilkins Award of the American Association of Anatomists. He reviews manuscripts for several journals; is on the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology, and is an Associate Editor for Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic & Clinical.

Dr. Meloni received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Yale University in 2000. His post-doctoral experience included research in the Psychiatry Department at Emory University and Neurology Department at Harvard University. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Medicine Discovery and Development Laboratory at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

Dr. Meloni's research focuses on bipolar disorder with the aim of 1) a better understanding of the neurobiology of this psychiatric illness, 2) developing better animal models of this disease, and
3) discovering and developing better medications for the treatment of bipolar disorder. The scope of the research includes analyses at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral level to address these specific aims.

Georgi V. Petkov, Ph.D.
Associate Professor,
Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, South Carolina College of Pharmacy

Urinary Bladder Smooth Muscle Function

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Petkov’s primary research interests focus on the mechanisms regulating smooth muscle function and the role of membrane ion channels in this tissue.  His long-term objective is to contribute to a better understanding of urinary bladder smooth muscle function under both normal physiological and pathophysiological conditions.  Millions of individuals suffer from different forms of bladder dysfunction, and Dr. Petkov’s research involves identifying novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of bladder disorders.  He uses a variety of approaches, from molecular biological techniques, isolated myocyte electrophysiology, contractility of isolated muscle strips, and whole animal physiology in order to study the function of the urinary bladder.

Peter Zvara, MD, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont
Neurobiology of the Lower Urinary Tract

CURRICULUM VITAE

Dr. Zvara completed his MD degree in 1987 and urology residency in 1992 at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He then went on to complete research fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco, McGill University, Montreal, and the University of Toronto. In the course of his fellowships, Dr. Zvara received five awards from both the Canadian and the American Urological Associations. He defended his PhD thesis in 1998 at Comenius University. He has worked as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Vermont since 1999. His research interests include neurourology, lower urinary tract function/dysfunction, erectile dysfunction, and chemoablation of the prostate. His laboratory performs in vivo, in vitro pharmacological, immunohistochemical as well as electorphysiological studies. He has a strong track record of collaborations with researchers in related fields in both academic institutions and the pharmaceutical industry.

Urology/Urodynamics/Urogenital

• Animal models of bladder dysfunction
• Outflow obstruction
• Chemical cystitis
• Spinal cord injury
• Inflammatory cystitis
• Urodynamic testing, cystometry
• Contractility of isolated muscle segments
• Penile erection model
• Calcium imaging
• Membrane potential
• Single cell electrophysiology, patch clamp recording of ion channel activity

Gastrointestinal Function

• Colonic motility
• Models of irritable bowel syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel
• Constipation

General Physiological/Pharmacological Testing

• Smooth muscle function
• In vitro and in vivo studies
• Development of study protocols
• Evaluation of varying doses and routes of administration
• Collection and analysis of blood and tissue samples
• Monitoring of animal health, weight, appearance, etc.
• Monitoring of consumption of food and water
• Short-term or long-term studies
• Delivery of samples to you for analysis in your laboratory

Resources include:

• 2,600 ft² Animal Care Facility
  • Animal Quarters
  • Automatic Cage Washer
  • Testing/Procedure Rooms
  • Surgery Suite/Necropsy Room
    
    
• Behavioral Lab Suite
  • Operant and Pavlovian Conditioning Systems
  • RotoRod
  • Mazes
  • Video Tracking
  • Open-Field Activity
  • Self-Administration
  • Conditioned Place Preference
         . . . and much more
    
• Office Space, Clerical Support, Lunch Room
  
  
• 7,500 ft² Analytical, Biochemical, Physiology, Pharmacology Lab Space
  • GC, HPLC, UV-Vis, IR, Fluorescence, Various In Vitro Test Systems
    
    
• 265 ft² Conference Room for Meetings, Seminars, and Teaching Purposes
  
  
• 650 ft² Loading Dock for Shipping/Receiving
  
  
• Immediate Access to the Staff of Engineers, Computer Programmers, and Production Facility at Med Associates and Catamount.
  
  
• Total Spatial Resources of Catamount and MED Associates Facilities is Roughly 65,000 ft²
  
  
• Scientific Board of Directors Made Up of Leading Scientists in Key Areas of Research