Jerry J. Buccafusco, Ph.D., received his B.S. in chemistry from St. Peter's College in 1971. He received his M.S. in chemistry from Canisius College in 1973; and his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1978. He was a postdoctoral fellow from 1977-1979 at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology and he became Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the Medical College of Georgia in 1979. Presently he is director of the Alzheimer's Research Center, in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Medical College of Georgia. He holds the rank of Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Professor of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. He holds a joint appointment as Research Pharmacologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Buccafusco also is President and CEO (and founder) of Prime Behavior Testing Laboratories, Inc., (Evans, GA) a contract research company for the preclinical evaluation of cognition-enhancing therapeutic agents.
Dr. Buccafusco has authored over 200 research publications and book chapters. His research area includes the development of novel treatment modalities for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. In 1988 his laboratory was the first to report the cognitive enhancing action of low doses of nicotine in non-human primates. Since that time he has studied numerous novel memory-enhancing agents derived from several pharmacological classes in this model. His most recent work is directed at the development of single molecular entities that act on multiple CNS targets to, not only enhance cognitive function, but also to provide neuroprotection, or to alter the disposition and metabolism of amyloid precursor protein. Dr. Buccafusco also has studied the toxic effects of organophosphorus anticholinesterases used as insecticides and as chemical warfare agents. In particular, he has studied the
behavioral/cognitive alterations associated with low level, chronic exposure to such agents. His work in the area of drug abuse has centered around the role of central cholinergic neurons in the development of physical dependence on opiates, and the in the expression of acute and protracted withdrawal behaviors. Most recently his laboratory is investigating the role of the immune system and in the production of auto-antibodies to b amyloid and to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) by individuals with Alzheimer's disease. These studies have been supported by continuous federally-sponsored grants and by several private foundations and commercial interests
Mruthinti, S., Sood, A., Humphrey, C.L., Swamy-Mruthinti, S. and
Buccafusco, J.J.: The Induction of Surface b-amyloid Binding Proteins
and Enhanced Cytotoxicity in Cultured PC-12 and IMR-32 Cells by Advanced
Glycation End Products. Neuroscience 142: 463-473, 2006.
Buccafusco, J.J., Shuster, L.C. and Terry, A.V., Jr.: Disconnection
between Activation and Desensitization of Autonomic Nicotinic Receptors
by Nicotine and Cotinine. Neurosci Letts 413: 68-71, 2007.
Gearhart, D.A., Sickles, D.W.. Buccafusco, J.J., Prendergast, M.A. and
Terry, A.V., Jr.: Chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos oxon, and
diisopropylfluorophosphate inhibit kinesin-dependent microtubule
motility. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 218: 20-29, 2007.
Matta, S.G., Balfour, D.J., Benowitz, N.L., Boyd, T., Buccafusco, J.J.,
Caggiula, A.R., Craig, C.R., Collins, A.C., Damaj, M.I., Donny, E.C.,
Gardiner, P.S., Grady, S.R., Heberlein, U., Leonard, S.S., Levin, E.D.,
Lukas, R.J., Markou, A., Marks, M.J., McCallum, S.E., Parameswaran, N.,
Perkins, K.A., Picciotto, M.R., Quik, M., Rose, J.E., Rothenfluh, A.,
Schafer, W.R., Stolerman, I.P., Tyndale, R.F., Wehner, J.M. and Zirger,
J.M.: Guidelines on nicotine dose selection for in vivo research.
Psychopharmacology 190: 269-319, 2007.
Khan, M.M., Hadman, M., De Sevilla, L.M., Mahesh, V.B., Buccafusco,
J., Hill, W., and Brann, D.W.: Cloning, distribution and colocalization
of MNAR/PELP1 with glucocorticoid receptors in primate and non-Primate
