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Nuri B. Farber, MD
Current
Position
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
University Roles
Director, Psychiatry Residency Training Program
Education and Training
Undergraduate: Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1985 Medical Degree: Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1989 Residency: Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, 1993
Major Awards
The Sandoz Award, In recognition of superior academic achievement and contribution to health care. Upjohn Research Award, In recognition of outstanding research during psychiatry residency.
Areas of Clinical Interest
psychosis, Alzheimer's disease, mental retardation, schizophrenia, psychopharmacology
Areas of Research Interests
My research focuses on the ability of neuroactive chemicals/compounds, prescribed drugs, and abused drugs to injure/kill neurons and glia in the CNS. Most of these agents appear to produce injury by inhibiting neuronal activity (e.g. NMDA antagonists, GABA mimetics, anticonvulsants). Other agents (e.g. solvents) have a less clear mechanism. Techniques used in the lab are pharmacological, histochemical (light and EM), neuroanatomical and cognitive/behavioral in nature. Results could be important for understanding childhood developmental disorders like mental retardation, autism, ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as well as adult disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
Key Publications
Noguchi KK, Walls KC, Wozniak DF, Olney JW, Roth KA, Farber NB (2008 Oct). Acute neonatal glucocorticoid exposure produces selective and rapid cerebellar neural progenitor cell apoptotic death. Cell Death Differ. 15(10): 1582-92. Full Article ->
Hanslick JL, Lau K, Noguchi KK, Olney JW, Zorumski CF, Mennerick S, Farber NB (2009 Apr). Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) produces widespread apoptosis in the developing central nervous system. Neurobiol Dis. 34(1): 1-10. Full Article ->
Dribben WH, Creeley CE, Wang HH, Smith DJ, Farber NB, Olney JW (2009 Feb 10). High Dose Magnesium Sulfate Exposure Induces Apoptotic Cell Death in the Developing Neonatal Mouse Brain. Neonatology. 96(1): 23-32. Full Article ->
Farber NB, Olney JW (2003 Dec 30). Drugs of abuse that cause developing neurons to commit suicide. Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 147(1-2): 37-45. Full Article ->
Farber NB, Nemmers B, Noguchi KK (2006 Sep 15). Acute D2/D3 dopaminergic agonism but chronic D2/D3 antagonism prevents NMDA antagonist neurotoxicity. Biol Psychiatry. 60(6): 630-8. Full Article ->
Farber NB (2003 Nov). The NMDA receptor hypofunction model of psychosis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1003119-30. Full Article ->
Funded Research Projects
NIEHS(PI):Neurodevelopmental Apoptosis
NIDA(Key Personnel):Developmental Brain Damage by Drugs of Abuse
NICHD(Key Personnel):Anesthesia-Induced Developmental Neuroapoptosis in non-Human Primates
NICHD(PI):Glucocorticoids and Apoptosis of Cerebellar Neural Progenitor Cells
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation(Key Personnel):Understanding Brain Injury and Development in At Risk Infants to Improve Outcome