Mark A. Simmons, Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmacology
Department of Integrative Medical Sciences
College of Medicine

Education

Ph.D., Pharmacology, Concentration in Neuroscience, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. - 1983 

B.S., Psychology, Minor in Mathematics and Computer Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. - 1976 

Professional Experience

Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Integrative Medical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio - 2000-Present 

Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio - 2010-Present

Professor, Pharmacology Graduate Program, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio - 2000-Present

Visiting Scientist, Department of Neuroscience Biology, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Wilmington, Delaware - 2006-2007 

Academic Visitor, Department of Pharmacology, University College - London, London, England - June-July 2000 

Research Scientist, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Huntington, West Virginia - 1998-2000 

Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, West Virginia - 1995-2000, Associate Professor - 1991-1995, Assistant Professor, 1987-1991

Senior Fellow in Neurobiology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri - 1993-1994

Associate in Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia - 1985-1987

Academic Computing Specialist, Academic Computing Services, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois - 1982-1983, Programming Advisor, 1979-1982

Research Assistant, Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina - 1976-1979 

Research Interests

• Behavioral, cellular and molecular neuropharmacology.
• Cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter action.
• Coupling of membrane receptors to ion channels in nerve cells and cardiac muscle.

Recent Publications

Dr. Simmons' Publications listed in PubMed

Geldenhuys, W.J., Kuzenko, S.R. and Simmons, M.A.  Virtual screening to identify novel antagonists for the G protein-coupled NK₃ receptor.  Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 53:8080-8088, 2010.

Simmons, M. A., Werkheiser, J.L. and Hudzik, T.J.  Acute nicotine and phencyclidine increase locomotor activity of the guinea pig with attenuated potencies relative to their effects on rat or mouse.  Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, 94:410-415, 2010.

Simmons, M. A., Sobotka-Briner, C.D., and Medd, A.  Localization and function of NK₃ receptors of layer V pyramidal neurons of the guinea pig medial prefrontal cortex.  Neuroscience, 156:987-994, 2008.

Perrine, S. A., Beard, D. J., Young, J. and Simmons, M. A.  The role of the N-terminal and mid-region residues of substance P in regulating functional selectivity at the NK₁ receptor.  European Journal of Pharmacology, 592:1-6, 2008.

Beard, D.J., Perrine, S.A., Phillips, E., Hoque, S., Conerly, S., Tichenor, C., Simmons, M.A. Young, J.K.  Conformational comparisons of a series of tachykinin peptide analogs.  Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2007, 50:6501-6506.

Simmons, M.A.  Functional selectivity of NK1 receptor signaling: peptide agonists can preferentially produce receptor activation or desensitization.  Journal of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics 2006 319:9079-13.

Simmons, M.A. Functional selectivity, ligand-directed trafficking, conformation specific agonism: what's in a name? Molecular Interventions, 5: 150-154, 2005.

Bennett, V.J., Perrine, S.A., and Simmons, M.A. Neurokinin-1 receptor resensitization results from a change in G protein coupling and not from receptor recycling. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 313: 1347-1354, 2005.

Perrine, S.A. and Simmons, M.A. Tachykinin peptide-induced activation and desensitization of neurokinin 1 receptors. Peptides, 24:469-475, 2003.

Bennett, V.J., Perrine, S.A. and Simmons, M.A. A novel mechanism of neurokinin-1 receptor resensitization. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 303:1155-1162, 2002.

Bennett, V.J. and Simmons, M.A. Analysis of fluorescently-labeled substance P analogs: binding, imaging and receptor activation. BMC Chemical Biology 1:1 (12 pp.). 2001.

Perrine, S. A., Whitehead, T.L., Hicks, R.P., Szarek, J. L., Krause, J. E. and Simmons, M. A. Solution structure in SDS micelles and functional activity at the bullfrog substance P receptor of ranatachykinin peptides. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 43:1741-1753, 2000.

Books

Simmons, M. A.  Pharmacology: An Illustrated Review, 400 pp., Thieme Medical Publishers Inc., New York, NY, 2011. ISBN 978-1-60406-205-2.

Simmons, M. A.  Pharmacology: Comprehensive Review and 2000 Multiple-Choice Questions & Answers. (2^nd Edition) 358 pp., Biotest Publishing Co. Inc., Ventura CA, 2002.  ISBN 1-893720-11X.

Review Articles and Book Chapters

Simmons, M. A.  Let’s go rafting: ligand functional selectivity may depend on membrane structure.  Molecular Interventions, 6:281-283, 2008.

Simmons, M. A.  Functional selectivity, ligand-directed trafficking, conformation specific agonism: what’s in a name?  Molecular Interventions, 5:154-157, 2005.

Hartzell, H. C., Simmons, M. A. and Fischmeister, R.  Regulation of the trans-sarcolemmal calcium current in isolated cardiac myocytes by acetylcholine and cyclic GMP.  International Symposium on Muscarinic Cholinergic Mechanisms, S. Cohen & M. Sokolovsky, Eds., Freund Publishing House, Ltd., London, pp. 149-158, 1987.

Simmons, M. A.  The complexity and diversity of synaptic transmission in the prevertebral sympathetic ganglia.  Progress in Neurobiology, 24:43-93, 1985.