Education
1998
Ph.D. (Nutrition)
Texas Tech University
1994
M.S. (Zoology)
Oklahoma State University
1990
B.S. (Biomedical Sciences)
Oklahoma State University
Postdoctoral Research Experience
2002-2004
NRSA (NIAAA/NIH) Postdoctoral Fellow,
Texas Tech University HSC (Pharmacology & Neuroscience).
1998-2002
Postdoctoral Research Associate,
Texas Tech University HSC (Pharmacology)
Funding
NIH/NIAAA 4/01/2002 – 9/30/2004
NIH/NIAAA 5/01/2006 – 4/30/2008
NIH/NINDS 8/01/2008 – 6/30/2011 no-cost extension until 6/30/2012
Selected Publications
Acute ethanol exposure modulates expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase in human astroglia: Evidence for a transcriptional mechanism. R.L. Davis, P.J. Syapin. Alcohol 32(3):195-202; 2004.
Ethanol increases nuclear factor-kB p65 activity in human astroglia. R.L. Davis, P.J. Syapin. Neuroscience Letters 371:128-132; 2004.
Effects of mechanistically distinct NF-kB inhibitors on glial inducible nitric-oxide synthase expression. R.L. Davis, A.C. Sanchez, D.J. Lindley, P.J. Syapin. Nitric Oxide 12: 200-209; 2005.
Interactions of alcohol and nitric-oxide synthase in the brain. R.L. Davis and P.J. Syapin. Brain Research Reviews 49: 494-504; 2005.
The opioid antagonist, β-funaltrexamine, inhibits chemokine expression in human astroglial cells. R.L. Davis, D. Buck, N. Saffarian, C.W. Stevens. Journal of Neuroimmunology 186:141-149; 2007.
The Oct DNA motif participates in the alcohol inhibition of the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene promoter in rat C6 glioma cells. A.C. Sanchez, R.L. Davis, P.J. Syapin. Brain Research 1179:16-27; 2007.
β-Funaltrexamine inhibits inducible nitric-oxide synthase expression in human astroglial cells. R.L. Davis, D.J. Buck, N. Saffarian, S. Mohan, U. Desilva, S.C. Fernando, C.W. Stevens. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology 3:150-153; 2008.
Importance of alcohol induced modulation of nitric-oxide synthase in the brain. R.L. Davis and P.J. Syapin. In Research on the Neurobiology of Alcohol Use Disorders. (L. Sher, Ed.), Nova Science, New York (2008).
Central Nervous System Inflammation: Astroglia and Ethanol. R.L. Davis. In Encyclopedia of Neuroscience (M. Binder, N. Hirokawa, U. Windhorst, Eds.), Springer, New York, pp. 638-641 (2009).
Pro-inflammatory cytokines and HIV-1 synergistically enhance CXCL10 expression in human astrocytes. R. Williams, N.K. Dhillon, S.T. Hedge, H. Yao, S. Callen, F. Peng, Y. Chebloune, R.L. Davis, S.J. Buch. Glia 57:734-743; 2009.
Dual regulation of mu opioid receptors in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells by morphine and interleukin-1β: evidence for opioid-immune crosstalk. S. Mohan, R.L. Davis, U. DeSilva, C.W. Stevens. Journal of Neuroimmunology 227:26-34; 2010.
Neuromelanin inhibits CXCL10 expression in human astroglial cells. N. Saffarian, D.J. Buck, L. Zecca, R.L. Davis. Neuroscience Letters 486(1):47-50; 2010.
Inorganic mercury exposure in prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) alters the expression of toll-like receptor 4 and activates inflammatory pathways in the liver in a sex-specific manner. Senait, A., J.T. Curtis, S. Sethi, R.L. Davis, Y. Chen, R. Kaul. Human & Experimental Toxicology (2012, Epub ahead of print; in press).
Chronic inorganic mercury exposure induces sex-specific changes in central TNFα expression: Importance in autism? J.T. Curtis, Y. Chen, D.J. Buck, R.L. Davis. Neuroscience Letters 504:40-44; 2011.
N.S. Tousi, D.J. Buck, J.T. Curtis, R.L. Davis α-Synuclein potentiates interleukin-1β-induced CXCL10 expression in human A172 astrocytoma cells. Neuroscience Letters 507:133-136; 2012.
Research Interests
Neuroinflammation: My lab is interested in gaining a better understanding of neuroimmune signaling in CNS disorders such as HIV Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and Autism. Additionally, we are interested in identifying the mechanism by which pharmacologic agents such as opioids modulate neuroimmune signaling in astrocytes and microglia.
Non-academic Interests
Soccer and Golf
