Ole Mortensen

Ole Mortensen, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology at Drexel University College of Medicine and Director of the Pharmacology & Physiology graduate program. He holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from Aarhus University, Denmark (1999). His research focuses on neurotransmitter transporters, particularly dopamine and serotonin transporters, and their roles in drug addiction, affective disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Research interests include: 1) Allosteric modulation of monoamine transporters as therapeutic targets for addiction and depression; 2) Structural differences between human and parasitic transporters to design novel drugs; 3) MAP kinase signaling pathways regulating neurotransmitter homeostasis. His lab uses cryo-EM, molecular modeling, and in vivo/in vitro assays to investigate these areas.

Key findings include identifying novel allosteric modulators for dopamine and serotonin transporters, discovering structural variations in parasitic transporters that reduce drug affinity, and elucidating MKP3's role in dopamine signaling and cocaine addiction. Recent publications highlight advances in transporter structure-function relationships and behavioral pharmacology.

• Awards: New Investigator Award (Drexel, 2016), Alfred Benzon Fellowship (2000), Fuhrman Award (1998)

His lab collaborates on NIH-funded projects exploring transporter modulation and has developed novel compounds for treating addiction and neurological disorders. The Ole Mortensen Lab also investigates neuroprotective strategies using glutamate transporter activators.