Kratom: History, Chemistry & Pharmacology; Expert Seminar featuring Dr. Chris McCurdy

In this video, Dr. Chris McCurdy leads us in a lecture entitled “Kratom 101: History, Chemistry & Pharmacology.”

Dr. McCurdy is a Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Pharmaceutics and The Frank A. Duckworth Eminent Scholar Chair in Drug Research and Development. He is also the Director of the UF Translational Drug Development Core. Dr. McCurdy completed his PhD in medicinal chemistry from the University of Georgia and a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy.

Dr. McCurdy is a broadly trained pharmaceutical scientist, and pharmacist whose research focuses on the design, synthesis, and development of drugs to treat pain, anxiety, and substance abuse. For over 25 years, much of his research has focused on opioid, neuropeptide FF, and sigma receptor ligand/probe design, synthesis, pharmacological evaluation, and development. He is an internationally recognized expert on kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), which is under investigation for opioid withdrawal syndrome, opioid use disorder, and treating pain. A significant portion of his career has been dedicated to the development of novel sigma receptor ligands, in collaboration with interdisciplinary groups, to generate and optimize selective ligands that could serve as critical experimental tools. More recently, he has worked to develop these as potential medication development leads to attenuate the effects of cocaine, methamphetamine, and pain.

Most notably, Dr. McCurdy has developed a PET/MR imaging diagnostic agent for visualizing the origins of chronic neuropathic pain by interacting with sigma receptors at the site of nerve damage. The Phase 1 and 2 human clinical trials are currently being conducted at Stanford University. He has published more than 150 manuscripts and holds 6 patents. He is currently funded by multiple NIH grants and the Florida Department of Health.

In addition, Dr. McCurdy serves as a consultant to the US Food and Drug Administration’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee and previously served as President of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS).

Dr. McCurdy’s visit to Rowan is made possible by generous support from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The Dreyfus Foundation was founded in 1946 by Camille Dreyfus to honor his recently passed brother, Henry. Both were highly influential chemists in the early-to-mid-1900s, with thousands of patents and a massively successful industrial organization centered on the synthesis of synthetic and semisynthetic materials. The purpose of the Foundation is to advance the science of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related sciences as a means of improving human relations and circumstances throughout the world, and they do this by supporting researchers at many stages of their careers. This Lectureship was awarded to discuss chemistry research relevant to addressing the opioid epidemic.

source