John Traynor, PhD

As a pharmacologist and medicinal chemist Dr. Traynor’s work aims to contribute a basic understanding of opioid systems and to use this information to develop novel medications targeting this system. To this end we study interactions of opioids with their receptors, cellular signaling mechanisms and behavioral effects of opioid drugs and endogenous opioid peptides. The aim of our studies is to identify novel targets for clinical intervention in opioid dependent conditions. The long-term goal is to identify molecules that interfere with these targets as potential medications to manage opioid use disorder, opioid overdose, and to provide effective and safer pain therapeutics.