Staff profile for Dr Chris Vaughan

Position

Principal Hospital Scientist (Royal North Shore Hospital)Clinical Senior Lecturer (University of Sydney)

Job description

Research Scientist

Organisation

Research Scientist, University of Sydney

Qualifications

PhD (University of Sydney), ME (University of NSW), BE (University of NSW)

Education

Research interests

Cannabinoid pharmacology, endogenous cannabinoids, pain, chronic pain, synaptic transmission

Project

• Cellular actions of endogenously released cannabinoids.
• New drugs for treating pain
• Cellular actions of cannabinoids in spinal cord pain pathways
• Cellular and analgesic actions of novel arachidonic acid conjugates.

Grants/Awards

• NH&MRC Project Grant (2006 – 2008). Molecular mechanisms of action of the novel analgesic, arachidonoyl-glycine.
• NH&MRC Project Grant (2004 – 2006). Cellular actions of cannabinoids within the spinal cord dorsal horn in a neuropathic pain state.
• ANZCA Research Grant (2002 – 2005). Mechanisms of cannabinoid and opioid action in neuropathic pain states.
• Pfizer Research Grant (2004). Nociceptive spinal cord processing in an animal model of human neuropathic pain.
• Northern Sydney Health Research Grant (2003). Cellular mechanisms of opioid and cannabinoid disinhibition in brainstem analgesic pathways.
• NH&MRC Project Grant (2001 – 2003). Cellular mechanisms of cannabinoid analgesia. Investigator: CW Vaughan.
• NH&MRC RD Wright Research Fellowship (1999 – 2002). Cellular mechanisms of opioid physical dependence.
• Ramaciotti Foundations for Biomedical Research Grant (2000). Mechanisms of cannabinoid analgesia in midbrain neurons.
• University of Sydney Research Grant (2000). Cellular mechanisms of cannabinoid analgesia.
• NH&MRC Project Grant (1998 – 2000). Cellular mechanisms of opioid physical dependence.

Publications

Refereed journal articles
• Jayamanne A Jayamanne A, Greenwood R, Mitchell VA, Aslan A, Piomelli D & Vaughan CW (2006) Actions of the FAAH inhibitor URB597 in neuropathic and inflammatory chronic pain models. British Journal of Pharmacology, 147(3): 281-288.
• Mitchell VA, Aslan S, Safaei R & Vaughan CW (2005) Effect of the cannabinoid ajulemic acid on rat models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain. Neuroscience Letters, 382: 231 - 235.
• Drew GM, Mitchell VA, Vaughan CW (2005) Postsynaptic actions of substance P on rat periaqueductal grey neurons in vitro. Neuropharmacology, 49: 587-595.
• Marinelli S, Connor M, Schnell SA, Christie MJ, Wessendorf MW & Vaughan CW (2005) -Opioid receptor-mediated actions on rostral ventromedial medulla neurons. Neuroscience, 132:239-244.
• Bagley EE, Gerke MB, Vaughan CW, Hack SP & Christie MJ (2005) GABA transporter currents activated by protein kinase A excite midbrain neurons during opioid withdrawal. Neuron, 45:433 – 445.
• Marinelli S, Schell SA, Hack SP, Christie MJ, Wessendorf MW & Vaughan CW (2004). Serotonergic and non-serotonergic dorsal raphe neurons are pharmacologically and electrophysiologically heterogeneous. Journal of Neurophysiology, 92(6): 3532-3537.
• Drew GM & Vaughan CW (2004). Multiple metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes modulate GABAergic neurotransmission in rat periaqueductal grey neurons in vitro. Neuropharmacology, 46(7):927-934.
• Connor M, Bagley EE, Mitchell VA, Ingram SL, Christie MJ, Humphrey PPA & Vaughan CW (2004). Cellular actions of somatostatin on rat periaqueductal grey neurons in vitro. British Journal of Pharmacology, 142: 1273-1280.
• Gavioli EC, Vaughan CW, Marzola G, Guerrini R, Mitchell VA, Zucchini S, De Lima TCM, Rae GA, Salvadori S, Regoli D, and Calo’ G (2004) Antidepressant-like effects of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor antagonist UFP-101: new evidences in rats and mice. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, 369 : 547-553.
• Mitchell VA, Christie MJ & Vaughan CW (2003) Developmental changes in the -adrenergic responses of rat periaqueductal grey neurons. Neuroreport, 14(12): 1637-1639.
• Hack SP, Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (2003) Modulation of GABA release during morphine withdrawal in midbrain neurons in vitro. Neuropharmacology, 45(5): 575-584.
• Vaughan CW, Bagley EE, Drew GM, Schuller A, Pintar JE, Hack SP & Christie MJ (2003) Cellular actions of opioids on periaqueductal grey neurons from C56B16/J mice and mutant mice lacking MOR-1. British Journal of Pharmacology, 139: 362-367.
• Jennings EA, Vaughan CW, Roberts LA & Christie MJ (2003). The actions of anandamide on rat superficial medullary dorsal horn neurons, in vitro. Journal of Physiology, 548: 121-129.
• Marinelli S, Vaughan CW, Schnell SA, Wessendorf MW & Christie MJ (2002) Rostral ventromedial medulla neurons that project to the spinal cord express multiple opioid receptor phenotypes. Journal of Neuroscience, 22:10847 - 10855.
• Marinelli S, Vaughan CW, Christie MJ & Connor M (2002) Capsaicin activation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the rat locus coeruleus in vitro. Journal of Physiology, 543: 531-540.
• Jennings EA, Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (2001) Cannabinoid actions on rat superficial medullary dorsal horn neurons in vitro. Journal of Physiology, 534:805-812.
• Vaughan CW, Connor M, Jennings EA, Marinelli S, Allen RG & Christie MJ (2001) Actions of nociceptin/orphan FQ and other prepronociceptin products on rostral ventromedial medulla neurons in vitro Journal of Physiology, 534: 849-859.
• Ford TW, Vaughan CW & Kirkwood PA (2000) Changes in the distribution of synaptic potentials from bulbospinal neurones following axotomy in cat thoracic spinal cord. Journal of Physiology, 524: 163-178.
• Vaughan CW, Connor M, Bagley EE & Christie MJ. (2000) Actions of cannabinoids on membrane properties and synaptic transmission in rat periaqueductal grey neurons in vitro. Molecular Pharmacology, 57: 288-295.
• Connor M, Vaughan CW, Jennings EA & Christie MJ (1999) Nociceptin, [Phe1(CH2-NH)Gly2]-nociceptin-(1-13)NH2, nocistatin and prepronociceptin154-181 effects on calcium channel currents and a potassium current in rat locus coeruleus in vitro. British Journal of Pharmacology, 128:1779-1787.
• Vaughan CW, McGregor IS & Christie MJ (1999) Cannabinoid receptor activation inhibits GABAergic neurotransmission in rostral ventromedial medulla neurons in vitro. British Journal of Pharmacology, 127: 935-940.
• Bagley EE, Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (1999). Inhibition by adenosine agonists of synaptic transmission in rat periaqueductal grey neurons. Journal of Physiology, 516: 219-225.
• Ingram SL, Vaughan CW, Bagley EE, Connor MA & Christie MJ (1998). Enhanced opioid efficacy in opioid dependence is due to an altered signal transduction pathway. Journal of Neuroscience, 18: 10269-10276.
• Vaughan CW (1998) Enhancement of opioid inhibition of GABAergic synaptic transmission by cyclooxygenase inhibitors in rat periaqueductal grey neurones. British Journal of Pharmacology, 123: 1479-1481.
• Vaughan CW, Ingram SL, Connor MA & Christie MJ (1997) How opioids inhibit GABAergic neurotransmission. Nature, 390: 611-614.
• Vaughan CW & Kirkwood PA (1997) Evidence from motoneurone synchronization for disynaptic pathways in the control of inspiratory motoneurones in the cat. Journal of Physiology, 503: 673-689.
• Vaughan CW, Ingram SL & Christie MJ (1997) Actions of the ORL1 receptor ligand, nociceptin, on membrane properties of rat periaqueductal gray neurons in vitro. Journal of Neuroscience, 17: 996-1003.
• Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (1997) Presynaptic inhibitory action of opioids on synaptic transmission in the rat periaqueductal grey in vitro. Journal of Physiology, 498: 463-472.
• Connor M, Vaughan CW, Chieng B & Christie MJ (1996) Nociceptin receptor coupling to a potassium conductance in rat locus coeruleus neurones in vitro. British Journal of Pharmacology. 119: 1614-1618.
• Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (1996) Increase by the ORL1 receptor (opioid receptor-like1) ligand, nociceptin, of inwardly rectifying K conductance in dorsal raphe nucleus neurones. British Journal of Pharmacology. 117: 1609-1611.
• Vaughan CW, Bandler R & Christie MJ (1996) Differential responses of lateral and ventrolateral rat periaqueductal grey neurones to noradrenaline in vitro. Journal of Physiology, 490: 373-381.
• Osborne P, Vaughan CW, Wilson HI & Christie MJ (1996) Opioid inhibition of rat periaqueductal grey neurones with identified projections to rostral ventromedial medulla in vitro. Journal of Physiology, 490: 383-389.
• Khadra MH, Satchell PM & Vaughan CW (1995) Sympathetic nervous system effects on feline bladder wall compliance throughout continence. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 155: 31-39.

Reviews
• Vaughan CW (2006) Stressed-out endogenous cannabinoids relieve pain. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 27: 69-71.
• Connor M & Vaughan CW (2005) Humanizing mice: catching up with elusive B1 receptors. British Journal of Pharmacology, Invited review, 144:885-886.
• Vaughan CW & Connor M (2003) In search of a role for the morphine metabolite morphine-3-glucuronide. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 97(2): 311-312.
• Christie MJ & Vaughan CW (2001) Neurobiology- Cannabinoids act backwards. Nature (London). 410, 527-530.
• Vaughan CW (2001) Cannabis: a pot of cellular actions in the mesolimbic system. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 22: 110-111. Also published online as a BioMedNet review (http://reviews.bmn.com).
• Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (2000) An analgesic role for cannabinoids. Medical Journal of Australia, 173: 270-272.
• Christie MJ, Connor M, Vaughan CW, Ingram SJ & Bagley EE (2000) Cellular actions of opioids and other analgesics: implications for synergism in pain relief. Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology, 27: 520-523.
• Christie MJ, Vaughan CW & Ingram SL (1999) Opioids, NSAIDs and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors act synergistically in brain via arachidonic acid metabolism. Inflammation Research, 48: 1-4.
• Christie MJ, Vaughan CW, Ingram SL, Connor M & Bagley EE (1998) Mechanisms of opioid inhibition of GABAergic synaptic transmission. Naunyn-Schmiedebergs Archives of Pharmacology, 358: R342.
• Vaughan CW & Satchell PM (1995) Mechanisms of urine storage. Progress in Neurobiology. 46:215-237.

Book Chapters
• Wessendorf MW, Vaughan CW & Vanegas H (2006) Rethinking the PAG and RVM: Supraspinal modulation of nociception by opioids and non-opioids. In: Proceedings of the 11th World Congress on Pain. H Flor, E Kalso, Dostrovsky JO (Eds.), IASP Press, Seattle, (in press).
• Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (2005) Retrograde endocannabinoid signalling. In: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, Cannabinoids (Vol. 168). R Pertwee (Ed.), Springer Verlag, Berlin, pages 367-383.
• Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (2004) Mechanismen der cannabinoidanalgesie. In: Cannabis und Cannabinoide - Pharmakologie, Toxikologie und therapeutisches Potential. F Grotenhermen (Ed.), Verlag Vans Huber, Bern, 2nd edition, pp. 115-125.
• Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (2002) Mechanisms of cannabinoid analgesia. In: Cannabis and cannabinoids: pharmacology, toxicology and therapeutic potential. F Grotenhermen & E Russo (Eds.), Haworth Press, New York, pp. 89-99.
• Vaughan CW & Christie MJ (2001) Mechanismen der cannabinoidanalgesie. In: Cannabis und Cannabinoide - Pharmakologie, Toxikologie und therapeutisches Potential. F Grotenhermen (Ed.), Verlag Vans Huber, Bern, pp. 109-119.
• Bandler R, Keay KA, Vaughan CW & Shipley MT (1996) Columnar organisation of PAG neurones regulating emotional and vocal expression. In: Vocal Fold Physiology: controlling complexity and chaos. (eds Davis P & Fletcher N) p137-152, Singular Publishing Group, San Diego.

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