I’m a postdoctoral associate studying drug interactions between opioids and xylazine at the University at Buffalo.
My doctoral research focused on characterizing compounds that act on specific subunits of GABAA receptors, and evaluating how effective they are at relieving chronic pain and reducing side effects of opioid analgesics (such as tolerance and opioid-induced hyperalgesia) in combination therapies.
Education
PhD, Neuroscience
BS, Genetics
Experience
Graduate Student Researcher, Lab of Jun-Xu Li, MD, PhD – University at Buffalo
- Characterizing drug interactions between α2/α3 subtype-selective GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators and clinically used analgesics under different pain conditions (complete Freund's adjuvant, chronic constriction injury, opioid-induced hyperalgesia)
- Behavioral testing: von Frey, Hargreaves, conditioned place preference, schedule-controlled food-maintained operant responding, horizontal wire test, locomotion
Rotation Student, PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences – University at Buffalo
- David Dietz Lab: cryosectioned rat brains, performed immunohistochemistry, and imaged brain slices using confocal microscopy
- Gabriela Popescu Lab: performed cell-attached patch clamp on HEK293 cells transfected with NMDA receptor subunits
- Jian Feng Lab: generated 4 lentiviral vectors, tested viral titers via HIV p24 ELISA, and reprogrammed human fibroblast cells into neurons
Research Technologist I, Lab of Jonathan Marchant, MA, PhD – Medical College of Wisconsin
- Transfected serotonergic G protein-coupled receptors from planaria, cestodes, and schistosomes into HEK293 cells expressing a cAMP biosensor, and screened them using a GPCR small compound library
Laboratory Assistant, Lab of Jonathan Marchant, MA, PhD – University of Minnesota
- Investigated effects of psychoactive compounds on polarity of tissue regeneration and movement using a planarian flatworm model
- Identified compounds that potently disrupted planarian movement, which could serve as lead compounds in the development of novel anti-parasitic drugs
Publications
Lewter L, Woodhouse K, Tiruveedhula VVNPB, Cook J, Li JX (2024). Antinociceptive effects of α2/α3-subtype selective GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators KRM-II-81 and NS16085 in rats: behavioral specificity. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
Siemian JN, Woodhouse K, Liu DH, Zhang Y, Li JX (2023). The imidazoline I2 receptor agonist 2-BFI reduces abuse-related effects of morphine: self-administration and drug discrimination. Psychopharmacology.
Zhang D, Decker A, Woodhouse K, Snyder R, Patel P, Harris D, Tao Y, Li JX, Zhang Y (2022). Isoquinolone derivatives as lysophosphatidic acid receptor 5 (LPA5) antagonists: investigation of structure-activity relationships, ADME properties and analgesic effects. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
Mitra S, Thomas S, Martin J, Williams J, Woodhouse K, Chandra R, Li JX, Sim F, Dietz D (2022). EGR3 regulates opioid-related nociception and motivation in male rats. Psychopharmacology.
Oral Presentations
"Antinociceptive interactions between α2/α3-selective GABAA receptor modulator KRM-II-81 and opioids in female rats." Virtual talk at 2021 International Graduate Student Conference in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Soochow University, and 2022 Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry meeting.
Poster Presentations
Woodhouse KL, Sharmin D, Cook JM, Li JX (2024). Differential effects of the imidazodiazepine KRM-II-81 and the benzodiazepine midazolam on opioid-induced respiratory depression in adult rats. Poster presented at Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry meeting, San Antonio, TX.
Woodhouse KL, Golani LK, Cook JM, Li JX (2022). Combination therapy with morphine and the imidazodiazepine KRM-II-81 in adult rats for pain control: lack of tolerance. Poster presented at annual meeting hosted by the Buffalo Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience in Buffalo, NY.
Woodhouse KL, Cook JM, Li JX (2022, 2021). Antinociceptive effects of α2/α3-selective GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators on opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Poster presented at: Neuroscience Research Day at University at Buffalo (virtual), Society for Neuroscience meeting (virtual), and Experimental Biology meeting in Philadelphia, PA.
Woodhouse KL, Cook JM, Li JX (2020). Evaluating combination therapies for treatment of chronic inflammatory pain: a GABAA approach. Poster presented at Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry meeting in San Antonio, TX.
Woodhouse KL, Chan JD, Marchant JS (2018, 2017). Psychoactive drugs as a route to development of novel anti-parasitic agents. Poster presented at Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago, IL, and Anthelmintics III in Indian Rocks Beach, FL.
Service
President (2021 - 2022)
Representative (2020 - 2021)
Co-Founder (2020)
President (2020 - 2022)
Treasurer (2019 - 2020)
Ambassador (2019 - 2024)
Awards & Honors
Travel Award, Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry (2022)
First Prize for Oral Presentation, International Graduate Student Conference in Pharmaceutical Sciences (2021)
Travel Award, Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry (2020)
Allen Barnett Graduate Student Fellowship, University at Buffalo (2019)
Travel Award, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2017)