Daryl L. Davies

Daryl L. Davies, PhD, is Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy. He oversees undergraduate programs including the Trojan Admission Pre-Pharmacy (TAP) initiative and directs the SC-ACE research program for high school students. His primary appointment is in the Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy.

Research Focus

Dr. Davies leads interdisciplinary research targeting alcohol use disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. His laboratory investigates:

• Purinergic receptor mechanisms in alcohol intake regulation
• Novel therapeutics like ivermectin and dihydromyricetin for addiction
• Neuroimmune interactions in alcoholism-neurodegeneration comorbidity
• Gut-brain axis modulation via sodium butyrate
• High-throughput drug discovery approaches

Publication Trends

Recent articles (2019-2025) demonstrate three dominant themes:

1. Preclinical validation of anti-alcohol compounds targeting P2X4 receptors and neuroinflammation
2. Pharmaceutical technology innovations for CNS drug delivery
3. Educational research on adaptive curricula in pharmacy training

Neuropharmacology accounts for 80% of publications, with consistent focus on translational rodent models.

Grants & Leadership

Active funding includes:

• NIH R01AA022448 ($3.2M, 2016-2021): Purinergic regulation of alcohol intake
• AgeneBio subcontract: GABA-A α5 modulators for cognitive impairment

He directs the Alcohol and Brain Research Laboratory and co-leads the USC Addiction Science Institute, collaborating with 15+ investigators across pharmacology, chemistry, and neuroscience.