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Dr. Paul Whiteaker has over two decades of experience working in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor research. He has provided original insights that have helped to define the subunit composition and functional and ligand-binding pharmacology of naturally expressed nicotinic receptor subtypes.
More recently, he has established a research program to recapitulate the diversity of naturally expressed nicotinic receptors using heterologous expression systems. This research background has provided Dr. Whiteaker with a wealth of experience in devising, exploiting, and publishing on novel nicotinic model systems, pharmacological agents, and assays. Current areas of focus are mutually supporting and include receptor structure and function studies, development of novel pharmacological reagents (with a particular emphasis on highly selective peptides derived from naturally occurring α-conotoxin ligands), and development of high throughput-capable assays. The resulting insights and reagents will be used to probe the roles of nicotinic receptors in normal and disease physiological processes, and to identify novel pharmacotherapeutic possibilities.
Dr. Whiteaker is a graduate of the University of Bath, in the United Kingdom. He performed postdoctoral training at the University of Colorado – Boulder before joining the faculty at Barrow Neurological Institute in 2008, where he is an associate professor.
- Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Bath, UK, 1997
- PhD, University of Bath, UK, Biochemistry, 1996
- BSc, University of Bath, UK, Biochemistry with honors, 1992
- Barrow – ASU Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience Executive Committee
- Grant Reviewer, NIH NPAS, PMDA Study Sections
- Grant Reviewer, California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) Nicotine Dependence Study Section
- Society for Neuroscience
- American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- Ad hoc reviewer, multiple journals, including: Biochemistry, Brain Research, British Journal of Pharmacology, European Journal of Pharmacology, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Molecular Pharmacology, PLOS ONE, Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Cocaine potently blocks neuronal α
Date: 02/2020
Authors: Ze-Gang Ma, Nan Jiang, Yuan-Bing Huang, Xiao-Kuang Ma, Jason Brek Eaton, Ming Gao, Yong-Chang Chang, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Janet Neisewander, Jie Wu
Alpha6-Containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Is A Highly Sensitive Target Of Alcohol
Date: 05/2019
Authors: Fenfei Gao, Dejie Chen, Xiaokuang Ma, Sterling Sudweeks, Jordan T. Yorgason, Ming Gao, Dharshaun Turner, Jason Brek Eaton, J. Michael McIntosh, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Yongchang Chang, Scott C. Steffensen, Jie Wu
Distinctive Single-Channel Properties Of α4β2-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Isoforms
Date: 03/2019
Authors: Maegan M. Weltzin, Andrew A. George, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker
Cocaine Potently Blocks Neuronal α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Sh-Sy5Y Cells
Date: 01/2019
Authors: Ze gang Ma, Nan Jiang, Yuan bing Huang, Xiao kuang Ma, Jason Brek Eaton, Ming Gao, Yong Chang, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Janet Neisewander, Jie Wu
Pharmacological And Functional Comparisons Of α6/α3β2β3-Nachrs And α4β2-Nachrs Heterologously Expressed In The Human Epithelial Sh-Ep1 Cell Line
Date: 10/2018
Authors: De jie Chen, Fen fei Gao, Xiao Kuang Ma, Gang gang Shi, Yuan bing Huang, Quang xi Su, Sterling Sudweeks, Ming Gao, Turner Dharshaun, Jason Brek Eaton, Yong Chang, J. Michael Mcintosh, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Scott C. Steffensen, Jie Wu
- English


Dr. Paul Whiteaker has over two decades of experience working in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor research. He has provided original insights that have helped to define the subunit composition and functional and ligand-binding pharmacology of naturally expressed nicotinic receptor subtypes.
More recently, he has established a research program to recapitulate the diversity of naturally expressed nicotinic receptors using heterologous expression systems. This research background has provided Dr. Whiteaker with a wealth of experience in devising, exploiting, and publishing on novel nicotinic model systems, pharmacological agents, and assays. Current areas of focus are mutually supporting and include receptor structure and function studies, development of novel pharmacological reagents (with a particular emphasis on highly selective peptides derived from naturally occurring α-conotoxin ligands), and development of high throughput-capable assays. The resulting insights and reagents will be used to probe the roles of nicotinic receptors in normal and disease physiological processes, and to identify novel pharmacotherapeutic possibilities.
Dr. Whiteaker is a graduate of the University of Bath, in the United Kingdom. He performed postdoctoral training at the University of Colorado – Boulder before joining the faculty at Barrow Neurological Institute in 2008, where he is an associate professor.

- Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Bath, UK, 1997
- PhD, University of Bath, UK, Biochemistry, 1996
- BSc, University of Bath, UK, Biochemistry with honors, 1992
- Barrow – ASU Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience Executive Committee
- Grant Reviewer, NIH NPAS, PMDA Study Sections
- Grant Reviewer, California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) Nicotine Dependence Study Section
- Society for Neuroscience
- American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- Ad hoc reviewer, multiple journals, including: Biochemistry, Brain Research, British Journal of Pharmacology, European Journal of Pharmacology, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Molecular Pharmacology, PLOS ONE, Nicotine and Tobacco Research
Cocaine potently blocks neuronal α
Date: 02/2020
Authors: Ze-Gang Ma, Nan Jiang, Yuan-Bing Huang, Xiao-Kuang Ma, Jason Brek Eaton, Ming Gao, Yong-Chang Chang, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Janet Neisewander, Jie Wu
Alpha6-Containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Is A Highly Sensitive Target Of Alcohol
Date: 05/2019
Authors: Fenfei Gao, Dejie Chen, Xiaokuang Ma, Sterling Sudweeks, Jordan T. Yorgason, Ming Gao, Dharshaun Turner, Jason Brek Eaton, J. Michael McIntosh, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Yongchang Chang, Scott C. Steffensen, Jie Wu
Distinctive Single-Channel Properties Of α4β2-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Isoforms
Date: 03/2019
Authors: Maegan M. Weltzin, Andrew A. George, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker
Cocaine Potently Blocks Neuronal α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Sh-Sy5Y Cells
Date: 01/2019
Authors: Ze gang Ma, Nan Jiang, Yuan bing Huang, Xiao kuang Ma, Jason Brek Eaton, Ming Gao, Yong Chang, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Janet Neisewander, Jie Wu
Pharmacological And Functional Comparisons Of α6/α3β2β3-Nachrs And α4β2-Nachrs Heterologously Expressed In The Human Epithelial Sh-Ep1 Cell Line
Date: 10/2018
Authors: De jie Chen, Fen fei Gao, Xiao Kuang Ma, Gang gang Shi, Yuan bing Huang, Quang xi Su, Sterling Sudweeks, Ming Gao, Turner Dharshaun, Jason Brek Eaton, Yong Chang, J. Michael Mcintosh, Ronald J. Lukas, Paul Whiteaker, Scott C. Steffensen, Jie Wu
- English