Biography
About Me
Kevin Currie, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at CMSRU. He earned his undergraduate degree (B.Sc. Honors in Pharmacology) from the University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Ph.D. in the Department of Physiology at St. George’s Hospital Medical School, University of London (London, England). Dr. Currie then moved to the University of Chicago (Chicago, IL) for his post-doctoral training in cellular neurophysiology. Prior to joining CMSRU in August 2017, Dr. Currie served on the faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine for almost 15 years, first as Assistant Professor and then tenured Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology.
At CMSRU, Dr. Currie is actively involved in medical education, including serving as a facilitator for Active Learning Groups, delivering didactic lectures, and co-directing the Pulmonary course in the M2 year. He also serves on various Departmental, Medical School, and Rowan University committees focused on the educational and research missions of the institution. Dr. Currie is a member of several professional societies, grant review panels, and the editorial board for the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Research in the Currie lab is funded by National Institutes of Health (NINDS) and encompasses the ion channels, transporters, and G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that control neuronal excitability and neurotransmitter secretion in the peripheral nervous system. One focus is the serotonin transporter (SERT) which is an important target for antidepressant medications and known to regulate signaling by the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. Dr. Currie’s lab has identified a new role for SERT in the peripheral sympathetic nervous system where it helps control the surge of catecholamine secretion from adrenal chromaffin cells that underlies the “fight-or-flight” response to acute stress. Ongoing work will investigate the novel physiological mechanisms used by SERT, and potential molecular links between sympathetic nervous system dysfunction and depression / anxiety disorders.