Alex French, PhD
School of Pharmacy
Assistant Professor
Education:
2016 Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Chicago
2010 B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
Bio:
The Alex French Lab investigates how alcohol and psychedelics alter the brain in order to understand how psychedelics might be repurposed into novel treatments for alcohol use disorder. We integrate information from a wide range of techniques, from protein engineering and drug screening at the molecular level, to electrophysiology at the cell and tissue levels, to whole-animal behavior at the organismal level.
Understanding psychedelics' neuropharmacology at these different scales puts us in a strong position to support the development of novel treatments for addiction.
Teaching synopsis: Dr. Alexander French teaches pharmacology and toxicology in the School of Pharmacy. His courses integrate the chemistry, physiology, and biology knowledge that the students have previously learned to give them deep insights on how pharmaceuticals and toxins interact with the body and foster independence that they will need to correctly understand and apply these important molecules throughout their careers.
Research Synopsis
Dr. Alexander French’s research sits at the intersection of neuroscience, pharmacology,
and chemical biology. His lab is focused on understanding how alcohol and psychedelics
alter the brain, with a particular interest in understanding how psychedelics could
be reengineered to treat alcohol use disorder with reduced hallucinogeic potential.
A large part of his work is in developing molecular tools such as high-throughput
drug screens as well as optogenetic tools and biosensors to probe GPCR and neuropeptide
signaling.
His current portfolio includes NIH- and NASA-supported projects on psychedelic-induced sensory alterations, the neurobiology of alcohol misuse, and novel high-throughput drug screen development. His prior work provided fundamental insights into biased agonism at kappa opioid receptors, alcohol use disorder, and neuroendocrine modulation in Alzheimer’s disease models.
Dr. French has published in Nature Methods, PNAS, Pharmacol Res, Experimental neurology, J Med Chem, Front Pharmacol, and ACS Omega. His patented molecular tools and optogenetic probes are being adopted for translational research worldwide. He presents widely at forums such as Society for Neuroscience, NIH BRAIN Initiative, the International Narcotics Research Conference, and Gordon Research Conferences.
Short Summary
Dr. Alexander French is focused on understanding how alcohol and psychedelics alter
the brain, with a particular interest in understanding how psychedelics could be reengineered
to treat alcohol use disorder with reduced hallucinogeic potential.
His NIH- and NASA-funded work integrates neuroscience, pharmacology, and chemical biology.
Links:
