Christopher J. Evans

Christopher J. Evans is a distinguished Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine. He serves as Director of the Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology and Principal Investigator for the NIH-funded Center for Study of Opioid Receptors and Drugs of Abuse (CSORDA), which has maintained continuous NIH support for over 30 years. His research focuses on opioid receptor function, addiction neuroscience, and chronic pain mechanisms, utilizing multidisciplinary approaches across molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels.

• Education: Ph.D. from Imperial College London (endorphins/enkephalins research)
• Postdoctoral: Stanford University

Evans' research has produced groundbreaking discoveries including cloning the first opioid receptor and identifying novel endogenous opioid peptides. His work spans opioid receptor heteromerization, neuroimmune interactions, and cross-addiction mechanisms, with recent studies examining 2020-2016 topics like μ/κ/δ receptor dynamics, sex chromosome effects on pain, and microglial contributions to opioid dependence.

Scientific leadership includes:

• Stefan Hatos Endowed Chair
• NIH P50DA005010 grant (Principal Investigator)
• Translational Methods/Facilities Core (NIH PL1NS062410)

His laboratory at the MacDonald Research Laboratories investigates molecular mechanisms underlying opioid action and neurochemical adaptations in addiction and pain states. Collaborators include Brigitte Kieffer (McGill University), Nigel Maidment (UCLA), and Catherine Cahill (UCLA).