Paul L. Prather

Paul L. Prather, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. His research focuses on neurobiological mechanisms of drug addiction, particularly G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways targeted by opioids and cannabinoids.

Education:

• Ph.D. – University of Georgia, 1988

Research Focus: With over 20 years of expertise, Dr. Prather investigates cellular mechanisms of drugs of abuse, specializing in opioid (mu, delta, kappa) and cannabinoid (CB1, CB2) receptors. His laboratory pioneered studies on synthetic cannabinoids (K2/Spice), discovering that monohydroxylated metabolites retain high receptor affinity and contribute to unique toxicity profiles. Current work develops G-protein biased CB1 agonists (indole quinuclidinone analogues) that minimize tolerance and adverse effects while maintaining therapeutic efficacy.

Publication Trends: Recent publications (2017-2020) demonstrate a consistent focus on synthetic cannabinoid metabolism, receptor binding kinetics, and translational pharmacology. His work bridges medicinal chemistry, toxicology, and behavioral neuroscience to address public health crises in drug abuse while advancing pain therapeutics through novel ligand design.

Grants and Mentorship: As Principal Investigator for multiple NIH grants (NIDA R01 DA039143, NIGMS R01 GM125862 submission), he leads projects on synthetic cannabinoid toxicity and therapeutic development. He directs the NIGMS-funded Systems Pharmacology Training Program (T32-GM106999) and mentors graduate students through the NIDA Translational Training in Addiction program (T32-DA022981), fostering interdisciplinary research in addiction science.

Research Environment: His UAMS laboratory integrates molecular pharmacology, metabolic profiling, and in vivo behavioral models within a collaborative team structure focused on translating mechanistic discoveries into clinical applications for substance use disorders.