Education
- Ph.D., Rutgers University, NJ, 2000
Research Interests
- Pharmacology of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in midbrain raphe and forebrain
- 5-HT and related effective disorders (such as depression, anxiety)
- Dorsal and median raphe neural circuitry including afferents and interneurons
- Physiology of opioidergic systerms (neurons, ligands and receptors)
- Role of opioids in the regulation of 5-HT release
- Relationship between exercise, 5-HT and opioid abuse
- The role of GABA and glutamate in opioid addiction
Professional Background
- Harvard Medical School, Instructor, 2002-2004,
Representative Peer Review Publications
- Zhiyuan Ma, Robert E. Strecker, James T. McKenna, Mahesh M. Thakkar, Robert W. McCarley and Rui Tao. Effects of nicotine and
dimethylphenylpiperazinium on extracellular 5-HT in the dorsal raphe and nucleus accumbens of
freely behaving rats. Submitted to Neurosicence, 2004,
- Tao, R., Karnik M, Ma Z, Auerbach SB. Effect of fentanyl on 5-HT efflux involves both
opioid and 5-HT1A receptors. British Journal of Pharmacology 139:1498-1504, 2003.
- Tao, R., Auerbach, S.B. Influence of Inhibitory and Excitatory Inputs on Serotonin
Efflux Differs in the Dorsal and Median Raphe Nuclei. Brain Research 961:109-120, 2003.
- Tao, R., Auerbach, S.B. GABAergic and glutamatergic afferents in the dorsal raphe
nucleus mediate morphine-induced increase in serotonin efflux in the rat CSN. Journal of
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 303:704-710, 2002.
- Tao, R., Auerbach, S.B. Opioid Receptor Subtypes Differentially Modulate
Serotonin Efflux inthe Rat CNS. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics,
302:549-556, 2002.
- Tao, R., Fray, A., Aspley, S., Brammer, R., Heal, D., Auerbach, S. Effects on serotonin
in rat hypothalamus of d-fenfluramine, aminorex, phentermine and fluocetine. European Journal of
Pharmacology 445: 69-81, 2002.
- Tao, R. and Auerbach, S.B. Regulation of serotonin release by GABA and excitatory
amino acids. Journal of Psychopharmacology 14: 100-113, 2000.
- Tao, R., Ma, Z. and Auerbach, S.B. Differential effect of local infusion of
serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the raphe versus forebrain, and the role of depolarization-induced
release in increased extracellular serotonin. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental
Therapeutics 294:571-579, 2000.
fellowships
