R. Scot Payne

R. Scot Payne serves as Professor of Biology and Coordinator of Health Sciences at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he maintains an active research program in the Department of Biology. His work bridges neuroscience and pharmacology with significant implications for understanding brain resilience under metabolic stress, and he can be contacted at rspayne@kwc.edu or (270) 852-3185 from his office in Yu Hak Hahn #10.

His academic foundation includes:

• B.S. in Biology from Brescia College
• M.S. in Comparative Physiology from the University of Kentucky
• Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Toxicology from the University of Louisville

Dr. Payne's research centers on neuroprotection mechanisms, with particular focus on how stress hormones like corticosterone disrupt hippocampal function during cerebral ischemia. His groundbreaking work resolving the 'glucose paradox' demonstrates lactate's critical role as a neuronal energy substrate when glucose metabolism fails. Additional investigations explore neuropharmacological interventions including anesthetics, antipsychotics, and preconditioning strategies for neuroprotection, while his interest in music's neurological impact reveals interdisciplinary curiosity.

Analysis of his 9 peer-reviewed publications (2003-2015) shows consistent exploration of metabolic neuroprotection using electrophysiological techniques in rat hippocampal slices. Key thematic threads include lactate's neuroenergetic role, stress hormone impacts on synaptic plasticity, and pharmacological modulation of ischemic damage, with methodological emphasis on long-term potentiation measurements and epileptiform activity monitoring.

Scientific recognition:

• No specific awards documented in available materials

While formal student lists and grant details aren't provided, his Health Sciences coordination role implies extensive undergraduate mentoring. His sustained collaboration with researchers like Avital Schurr and Rif El-Mallakh across institutions demonstrates productive research networking, particularly in neuropharmacology and anesthesiology domains. Conference presentations at ASA and Society for Biological Psychiatry meetings indicate active scholarly dissemination.