Todd Vanderah

Todd Vanderah is a Regents Professor at the University of Arizona, affiliated with multiple departments including Pharmacology, Anesthesiology, Neurology, and Neuroscience. He serves as Co-Director of the MD/PhD Dual Degree Program, Department Head of Pharmacology, and Director of the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center. His research focuses on pain mechanisms, opioid tolerance, endogenous opioid systems, and neuroinflammatory pathways.

• Leadership Roles: Pharmacology Executive Committee, Dean's Council on Faculty Affairs, Director of Medical Pharmacology Graduate Program
• Key Research Areas: Chronic pain, cannabinoid-opioid synergy, blood-brain barrier integrity, neuroimmune signaling

Recent publications highlight his work on opioid-cannabinoid interactions, sphingosine-1-phosphate pathways, and novel pain models (e.g., red light exposure, DAGLα inhibition). His studies frequently employ rodent models to explore pharmacological interventions for neuropathic pain, traumatic brain injury, and opioid-induced dysregulation.

Findings from Vanderah's lab have advanced understanding of CRMP2 phosphorylation, NHE1 regulation, and neuroinflammatory mediators in pain states. Collaborations span pharmacology, neuroscience, and oncology, with implications for drug discovery and clinical pain management.