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Scott Edwards, PhD

Associate Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience
Department of Physiology Vice Chair for Training and Mentoring
Associate Director, NIH/NIAAA T32 & T35 Training Programs
NIH/NIAAA P60 Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center
NIH/NINDS R25 ENDURE Blueprint Program for Enhancing Neuroscience Diversity 
Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Faculty Council

Department of Physiology
533 Bolivar Street, Room 622
New Orleans, LA 70112
Cell (619) 241-3380
Office (504) 568-2669
Fax (504) 568-6158
sedwa5@lsuhsc.edu

Clinical Sciences Research Building Office: CSRB 626
CSRB Biochemistry Lab: CSRB 726, 728
CSRB Behavior Lab: CSRB 7th Floor Animal Facilities
Dental School Annex: Rooms 3549 & 3551

Dr. Edwards' CV
 

View Scott Edwards's profile on LinkedIn

Degrees

  • B.S. Biochemistry (1995-2000) The University of Texas, Austin, TX
  • Ph.D. Neuroscience (2000-2007) UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship (2007-2013) The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA

Bio

Dr. Edwards graduated from Wall High School in Wall, Texas (Population: 200) before earning his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin.  He next completed his PhD training in the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas with the support of an F31 predoctoral National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Afterwards, Scott joined the Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders at The Scripps Research Institute where he was awarded an F32 postdoctoral NRSA fellowship and a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Dr. Edwards joined the Department of Physiology in 2013 and was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in 2019.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Edwards is a member of the translational LSU Health New Orleans NIH-funded P60 Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, where he is PI of RC3: Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Neurological Symptoms of Cognitive Dysfunction and Pain.  This component includes investigation of persons living with HIV in association with the New Orleans Alcohol Use in HIV (NOAH) study.  We focus on stress-related glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling, which integrates and impacts virtually all physiological systems. Alterations in GR activity may represent critical intersections across research components RC1 (community & psychological stress), RC2 (metabolic risk), RC3 (neurological damage), and RC4 (immune system dysregulation.

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Research Interests

Preclinical research interests in our laboratory center around the investigation of neurobiological changes associated with altered motivational systems in the context of substance use disorders (SUDs).  Our research strategy is to first determine alterations in neuronal signaling following excessive drug or alcohol use, and then to investigate which neuroadaptations are most critically involved in driving excessive substance use.  Our most recent focus is on the interaction of SUD and chronic pain. Employing animal models of these conditions, we are investigating how inflammatory and HIV-related pain alters central reinforcement circuitry and motivated behavior. Our studies primarily measure protein- and phosphoprotein-level neuroadaptations in brain centers responsible for the establishment and maintenance of SUD. These projects involve close collaboration with distinguished LSU Health and national investigators.

Recent Edwards Lab NIH Grants & Contracts:

F30AA031900 (Stephanie Lee PI, Edwards Sponsor)
Alcohol-Cannabinoid System Interactions in the Context of Pain and AUD
T35AA021097 (Molina, Edwards MPI)
Medical Student Alcohol Research Internship
NIH 75N94023C00014 (Edwards PI)
Preclinical Medications Screening in Dependence, Affect and Pain Models of Alcoholism
F30AA030941 (Taylor Fitzpatrick-Schmidt PI, Edwards Sponsor)
Interactions of Alcohol and Pain in the Context of HIV
R21AA030206 (Ferguson, Edwards MPI)
Interaction of Biopsychosocial Stress, Alcohol Misuse, and Neurobehavioral Sequelae of COVID-19
F31AA028445 (Jessi Cucinello-Ragland PI, Edwards Sponsor)
Regulation of Pain by Alcohol and Endocannabinoids in the Basolateral Amygdala
R25NS114309 (Augustus-Wallace, Edwards, Farris, Molina, Tsien MPI)
NINDS/LSUHSC-NO Undergraduate Diversity in Neuroscience Research Experiences
R01AA025996 (Edwards PI)
Vasopressin Signaling in Pain and Alcohol Dependence

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(Left) Taylor, Amanda, and Scott at the 2024 Winter Brain Ski Conference. Taylor and Amanda presented their research on sex differences in pain and negative affect and implications for alcohol and opioid use disorder risk.  We also got to speak about responsible alcohol use and MD/PhD careers at Summit High School in Breckenridge, Colorado. Edwards Lab continues to work closely with Amanda and her VA-funded research program focused on combating fentanyl misuse and developing safter alternatives to opioid analgesics. (Right) So lucky and proud to have these two NIH-funded MD/PhD students in the research group. Taylor and Stephanie are leading both preclinical and clincal projects to help us better understand neurobiological and biobehavioral mechanisms linking chronic pain and substance use disorders. My kids eat.

Teaching Activities

My teaching and educational scholarship opportunities have steadily grown to become a key part of my academic career, inspired by the wealth of opportunities and dedicated educators around the health sciences center. My didactic focus lies in the area of endocrine and neuroendocrine physiology, and my main teaching responsibilities occur within the School of Nursing (Nursing Physiology), School of Allied Health (Human Physiology and Physiological Sciences), and School of Graduate Studies (Integrated Systems in Biomedical Sciences and Professionalism in Science). I am also proud to serve on the Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair (GNOSEF) Board of Directors and as the LSU Health-New Orleans School of Graduate Studies Faculty Council Liasion for the Office of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice.

Educational Scholarship & Publications

Fitzpatrick-Schmidt T, Edwards S.
Interprofessional Education to Support Alcohol Use Screening and Future Team-Based Management of Stress-Related Disorders in Vulnerable Populations.  Frontiers in Education; In press.

Gunaldo TP, Baudoin CD, Duffy SJ, Mazumder HOR, Edwards S.
An exploratory investigation of longitudinal interprofessional education attitudes at the team level.  Health, Interprofessional Practice & Education; 2023 3, 1-8.

Edwards S, Ferguson TF, Gasparini S, Mercante DE, Molina PE, Gunaldo TP. 
Interprofessional education as a potential foundation for future team-based prevention of alcohol use disorder.  BMC: Medical Education; 2023 23:126.

Ferguson TF, Beauchamp A, Rosen EM, Ray AN, Theall KP, Gilpin NW, Molina PE, Edwards S. 
Pilot study of the adaptation of an alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use intervention for vulnerable urban young adults.  Frontiers in Public Health; 2020 8:314

Harrison-Bernard LM, Nalijayan MV, Mercante DE, Gunaldo TP, Edwards S. 
Longitudinal interprofessional education in a graduate physiology course. Advances in Physiology Education; 2019 43:241-245.

Edwards S, Molina PE, McDonough K, Mercante DE, Gunaldo TP. 
The potential of interprofessional education to effectively translate physiology curricula into future team-based healthcare. Advances in Physiology Education; 2018 42:354-359.

Edwards S, Molina PE, McDonough K, Mercante DE, Gunaldo TP. 
Integrating an interprofessional education experience into a human physiology course. Journal of Physician Assistant Education; 2017 28: 146-148.

English R, Edwards S, Armstrong M, McDonough K, Molina P. 
Alcohol use disorder: An interprofessional case-based exercise.
MedEdPORTAL; 2014
 

Committees & Administrative Responsibilities

  • LSU Health-New Orleans Graduate Advisory Council (Mentoring and Admissions Committees)
  • LSU Health-New Orleans School of Medicine Internal Funding Review Panel
  • Board of Directors, Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair
  • RSA Animal Research and Ethics Committee (2017-2020)
  • RSA Nominations Committee (2022-2023)
  • APS Conference Committee (2017-2019)
  • APS Central Nervous System Section Steering Committee (2017-2019)
  • APS Physiology Educators Committee (2021-2023)
  • LSU Health-New Orleans Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (2019-2021)
  • LSU Health-New Orleans NIAAA T35 Internal Advisory Committee (2019-2024)

 

 

Selected Publications

Bazan H, Bhattacharjee S, Reid M, Jun B, Polk C, Strain M, St. Pierre L, Desai N, Daly P, Cucinello-Ragland J, Edwards S, Alvarez-Builla J, Cai J, Bazan N.  Transcriptomic signature, bioactivity, and safety of a non-hepatotoxic analgesic generating AM404 in the midbrain PAG region. Scientific Reports In press.

Fitzpatrick-Schmidt T, Oral E, Welsh D, Simon L, Molina P, Ferguson T, Edwards S. Moderate to severe cognitive impairment is associated with both recent and chronic alcohol misuse in people with HIV: The New Orleans Alcohol Use in HIV (NOAH) Study.  Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research In press.

Fitzpatrick-Schmidt T, Edwards S. Within and beyond the binary: Sex and gender differences in pain and alcohol use disorder. Current Addiction Reports In press.

Morris T, Cucinello-Ragland JA, Marks TJ, Prevost K, Glenn JF, Davenport GJ, Edwards S, Winsauer PJ.  Distinct antinociceptive and conditioned behavioral effects are produced by individual cannabinoids and a cannabis-derived mixture. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior 2024 235:173692.

Siddiqi MT, Podder D, Pahng AR, Athanason AC, Nadav T, Cates-Gatto C, Contet C, Roberts AJ, Edwards S, Roberto M, Varodayan FP.  Prefrontal cortex glutamatergic adaptations in a mouse model of alcohol use disorder. Addiction Neuroscience 2023 9; 100137.

Schwartzenburg JB, Cruise SC, Reed RE, Hutchinson CM, Mirzalieva OS, Edwards KN, Edwards S, Gilpin NW Molina PE, Desai SD. Neuropathological outcomes of traumatic brain injury and alcohol use in males and females: studies using preclinical rodent and clinical human specimens. Journal of Neurotrauma 2023 40:2410-2426.

Cucinello-Ragland JA, Alrashed NH, Lee S, Davis EC, Edwards KN, Edwards S. Sex-specific biobehavioral regulation of persistent inflammatory pain by alcohol. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research 2023 47:1283-1296.

Barattini AE, Montanari C, Edwards KN, Edwards S, Gilpin NW, Pahng AR. Chronic inflammatory pain promotes place preference for fentanyl in male rats but does not change fentanyl self-administration in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2023 231:109512.

Varodayan FP, Pahng AR, Davis TD, Bajo M, Steinman MQ, Kiosses WB, Blednov YA, Burkart MD, Edwards S, Roberts AJ, Roberto M. Chronic ethanol induces a pro-inflammatory switch in interleukin-1β regulation of GABAergic signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex of male mice. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 2023 110:125-139.

Fitzpatrick-Schmidt T, Edwards S. Cortisol as a risk biomarker to guide recovery from substance use disorders. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research 2023 47(3):435-437.

Lopez M, Davis EC, Cucinello-Ragland JA, Regunathan S, Edwards S, Becker HC. Agmatine reduces alcohol drinking and alleviates hyperalgesia symptoms in rodent models of alcohol use disorder. Alcohol 2023 109:23-33.

Cucinello-Ragland JA, Edwards S. The hidden risks of alcohol use for pain relief. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research 2023 47(2):209-210.

Carmack SA, Vendruscolo JCM, McGinn MA, Miranda-Barrientos J, Repunte-Canonigo V, Hinrich AJ, Jodelka FM, Bosse GD, Ling K, Messing RO, Peterson RT, Rigo F, Edwards S, Sanna PP, Morales M, Hastings ML, Koob GF, Vendruscolo LF. Corticosteroid-dependent sensitization to stress drives opioid addiction. Molecular Psychiatry 2022 27:2492-2501.

Edwards S, Callicoatte CN, Baratinni AE, Cucinello-Ragland JA, Melain A, Edwards KN, Gilpin NW, Avegno EM, Pahng AR. Pramipexole treatment attenuates mechanical hypersensitivity in male rats experiencing chronic inflammatory pain.  Neuropharmacology 2022 208:108976.

Simon L, Edwards S, Molina PE.  Pathophysiological consequences of at-risk alcohol use; Implications for comorbidity risk in persons living with HIV. Frontiers in Physiology-Clinical and Translational Physiology 2022 12:758230.

 

Cucinello-Ragland JA, Mitchell-Cleveland R, Trimble WB, Lopez AU, Yeh AY, Edwards KN, Molina PE, Simon Peter L, Edwards S. Alcohol amplifies cingulate cortex signaling and facilitates immobilization-induced hyperalgesia in female rats. Neuroscience Letters 2021 761:136119.

 

Steel TL, Afshar M, Edwards S, Jolley SE, Timko C, Clark BJ, Douglas IS, Dzierba AL, Gershengorn HB, Gilpin NW, Godwin DW, Hough CL, Maldonado JR, Mehta AB, Nelson LS, Patel MB, Rastegar DA, Stollings JL, Tabakoff B, Tate JA, Wong A, Burnham EL.  Research needs for inpatient management of severe alcohol withdrawal syndrome: An official American Thoracic Society research statement. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2021 204:e61-e87.

 

Maxi JK, Foret B, Amedee AM, McDaniels L, Nelson S,  Simon L, Edwards S, Molina PE. Antiretrovrial therapy administration reduces neuroinflammation without restoring brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in alcohol-administered simian immunodeficiency virus-infected macaques. AIDS 2021 35:1343-1353.

 

Pahng AR, Edwards S.  The convergent neuroscience of affective pain and substance use disorder. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews 2021 41:14.

 

Natividad LA, Steinman MQ, McGinn MA, Sucheschandra S, Kerr TM, Ciccocioppo R, Messaoudi I, Edwards S, Roberto M.  Impaired hypothalamic feedback dysregulates brain glucocorticoid signaling in genetically-selected Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Addiction Biology 2021 26(3):e12978.

 

Cucinello-Ragland JA, Edwards S. Neurobiological aspects of pain in the context of alcohol use disorder. International Review of Neurobiology 2021 157:1-29.

 

Patel RR, Wolfe SA, Bajo M, Abeynaike S, Pahng AR, Nikzad R, Edwards S, Pauste S, Roberts A, Roberto M.  IL-10 normalizes aberrant amygdala GABA transmission and reverses anxiety-like behavior and dependence-induced escalation of alcohol intake. Progress in Neurobiology 2021 199:101952.

 

Stielper ZF, Fucich EA, Middleton J, Hillard C, Edwards S, Molina P, Gilpin NW. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and alcohol drinking alter basolateral amygdala (BLA) endocannabinoids in female rats. Journal of Neurotrauma 2021 38: 422-434.

 

McGinn MA, Edwards KN, Edwards S. Chronic inflammatory pain alters alcohol-regulated frontocortical signaling and associations between alcohol drinking and thermal sensitivity.  Neurobiology of Pain 2020 8:100052.

 

Bazan HA, Bhattacharjee S, Burgos C, Recio J, Abet V, Pahng AR, Jun B, Heap J, Ledet AH, Gordon WC, Edwards S, Paul D, Alvarez-Builla J, Bazan NG. A novel pipeline of non-narcotic analgesics that lack hepatotoxicity and retain antipyresis. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2020 202:112600.


Delery EC, Edwards S. Neuropeptide and cytokine regulation of pain in the context of substance use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2020 174:108153.
 

Fucich EA, Stielper Z, Cancienne H, Edwards S, Gilpin NW, Molina PE, Middleton JW. Endocannabinoid degradation inhibitors ameliorate neuronal and synaptic alterations following traumatic brain injury.  Journal of Neurophysiology 2020 123:707-717.

 

Edwards S, Vendruscolo LF, Gilpin NW, Wojnar M, Witkiewitz K. Alcohol and pain: A translational review of preclinical and clinical findings to inform future treatment strategies. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 2020 44:368-383.

 

Maxi JK, Mercante D, Foret B, Oberhelman S, Ferguson TF, Bagby GJ, Nelson S, Amedee AM, Edwards S, Simon L, Molina PE. Chronic binge alcohol-associated modulation of growth factor signaling pathways and neuroinflammation in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected male macaques: Differential brain-region modulation. Alcohol and Alcoholism 2019 54:477-486.

 

Fucich EA, Mayeux JP, McGinn MA, Gilpin NW, Edwards S, Molina PE. A novel role for the endocannabinoid system in ameliorating motivation for alcohol drinking and negative behavioral affect following traumatic brain injury in rats.  Journal of Neurotrauma 2019 36:1847-1855.

 

Schreiber AL, McGinn MA, Edwards S, Gilpin NW.  Predator odor stress blunts alcohol conditioned aversion. Neuropharmacology 2019 144:82-90.


Pahng AR, Paulsen RI, McGinn MA, Farooq MA, Edwards KN, Edwards S.  Dysregulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation in alcohol dependence. Alcohol 2019 75:11-18.


Avegno EM, Lobell TD, Itoga CA, Baynes BB, Whitaker AM, Weera MM, Edwards S, Middleton JW, Gilpin NW.  Central amygdala circuits mediate hyperalgesia in alcohol-dependent rats.  Journal of Neuroscience 2018 38:7761-7773.


Pahng AR, Edwards S. Measuring pain avoidance-like behavior in drug-dependent rats. Current Protocols in Neuroscience 2018 85(1):e53.

 

Juarez B, Morel C, Ku SM, Ribeiro E, Zhang H, Crumiller M, Jackson K, Roman-Ortiz C, Croote D, Calipari ES, Zhang S, Hodes G, Liu Y, Cederbaum AI, Vendruscolo LF, Edwards S, Roberts A, Chaudhury D, Friedman AK, Koob GF, Han MH.  Midbrain circuit regulation of individual alcohol drinking behaviors in mice. Nature Communications 2017 8:2220.

 

Pahng AR, Paulsen RI, McGinn MA, Edwards KN, Edwards S. Neurobiological correlates of pain avoidance-like behavior in morphine-dependent and non-dependent rats. Neuroscience 2017 366:1-14.

 

Pahng AR, McGinn MA, Paulsen RI, Edwards S.  The prefrontal cortex as a critical gate of negative affect in alcohol use disorder. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 2017 13:139-143.

 

Mayeux JP, Katz PS, Edwards S, Middleton JW, Molina PE.  Inhibition of endocannabinoid degradation improves outcomes from mild traumatic brain injury: A mechanistic role for synaptic hyperexcitability. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2017 34: 436-443.

 

McGinn MA, Paulsen RI, Itoga CA, Farooq MA, Reppel JE, Edwards KN, Whitaker AM, Gilpin NW, Edwards S. Withdrawal from chronic nicotine exposure produces region-specific tolerance to alcohol-stimulated GluA1 phosphorylation. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2016 40:2537-2547

 

Somkuwar SS, Staples MC, Fannon M, Zamora-Martinez ER, Kim A, Navarro AI, Edwards S, Mandyam CD.  Alcohol dependence-induced regulation of the proliferation and survival of adult brain progenitors is associated with altered BDNF-TrkB signaling. Brain Structure and Function. 2016 221:4319-4335.

 

McGinn MA, Edwards S. CRF1 receptor signaling at the intersection of pain and opioid addiction. In: Preedy V (Ed.) The Neuropathology of Drug Addictions and Substance Misuse. 2016 1: 891-896. Academic Press.

 

Whitaker AM, Farooq MA, Edwards S, Gilpin NW.  Post-traumatic stress avoidance is attenuated by corticosterone and associated with brain levels of steroid receptor co-activator-1 in rats.  Stress. 2016 19: 69-77.

 

LeBlanc D, McGinn MA, Itoga CA, Edwards S.  The affective dimension of pain as a risk factor for drug and alcohol addiction.  Alcohol. 2015 49:803-809.

 

Vendruscolo LF, Estey D, Goodell V, Macshane LG, Logrip ML, Schlosburg JE, McGinn MA, Zamora-Martinez ER, Belanoff JK, Hunt HJ, Sanna PP, George O, Koob GF, Edwards S, Mason BJ. Glucocorticoid receptor antagonism decreases alcohol seeking in alcohol dependent individuals. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2015 125: 3193-3197.

 

Park PE, Schlosburg JE, Vendruscolo LF, Schulteis G, Edwards S, Koob GF. Chronic CRF1 receptor blockade reduces heroin intake escalation and dependence-induced hyperalgesia. Addiction Biology 2015 20: 275-284.

 

Helms CM, Anderson SM, Bell RL, Bennett AJ, Davies DL, Kosten TA, Leeman R, Panicker S, Platt DM, Weiner JL, Edwards S.  The importance of animals in advancing research on alcohol use disorders. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2015 39: 575-578.

 

Whitfield TW Jr, Schlosburg JE, Wee S, Gould A, George O, Grant Y, Zamora-Martinez ER, Crawford E, Edwards S, Vendruscolo LF, Koob GF. Kappa opioid receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell mediate escalation of methamphetamine intake. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2015 35: 4296-4305.

 

Kim A, Zamora-Martinez ER, Edwards S, Mandyam CD. Structural reorganization of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of alcohol-dependent rats is associated with altered glial plasticity. Brain Structure and Function. 2015 220: 1705-1720.

 

Zamora-Martinez ER, Edwards S. Neuronal extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling as marker and mediator of alcohol and opioid dependence. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 2014 8:24.

Edwards S, Baynes BB, Carmichael C, Zamora-Martinez ER, Koob GF, Gilpin NW.  Traumatic stress reactivity promotes excessive alcohol drinking and alters the balance of prefrontal cortex-amygdala activity.  Translational Psychiatry 2013 3: e296.

Edwards S, Koob GF. Escalation of drug self-administration as a hallmark of addiction liability. Behavioural Pharmacology 2013 24: 356-362.

Kallupi M, Wee S, Edwards S, Whitfield TW Jr, Oleata CS, Luu G, Schmeichel BE, Koob GF, Roberto M. Kappa opioid receptor-mediated dysregulation of gamma-aminobutyric acidergic transmission in the central amygdala in cocaine addiction.  Biological Psychiatry 2013 74(7): 520-528.

Schlosburg JE, Vendruscolo LF, Bremer P, Lockner JW, Nunes AA, Stowe GN, Edwards S, Janda KD, Koob GF.  Heroin vaccine blocks relapse and compulsive intake of heroin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 2013 110(22): 9036-9041.

Egli M, Koob GF, Edwards S. Alcohol dependence as a chronic pain disorder. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 2012 36: 2179-2192.

Center of Excellence

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center of Excellence
Neuroscience Center of Excellence

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