Director, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research
Senior Advisor to the Dean on Research Strategy
Professor, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Professor, Department of Neurology
Dell Medical School; College of Pharmacy; College of Natural Sciences
Dr. Messing’s primary discipline is neuroscience and his major interests are in addiction, pain, anxiety and mood disorders. His laboratory uses a variety of molecular (gene targeting, transgenic expression, RNA interference) and circuit mapping (electrophysiology, optogenetics, immunohistochemistry) techniques in rodents to study the role of specific signaling proteins and circuits in which they reside in regulating behavior. The ultimate goal of this work is to determine if these proteins are drug targets for treating neuropsychiatric disorders.
Dr. Messing’s major contributions include determining that protein kinase C epsilon, protein kinase C delta, N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels, and the type 1 equilibrative nucleoside transporter regulate ethanol intoxication and self-administration in mice. His research on protein kinase C epsilon, in particular, has led to ongoing efforts to develop inhibitors of this enzyme as potential treatments for pain, anxiety, and alcohol and nicotine addiction.