Harvard Catalyst Profiles

PAST Funding Information:

1. Foundation in Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) Mentored Research Training Grant – Basic Research (MRTG-BR): MRTG-2/15/09-Bajic (Dusica)
Title: Age Differences of Brain Circuits Mediating Morphine Effect and Development of Morphine Tolerance
Dates: 07/01/09-06/30/11
The specific goal of this project is to understand how chronic morphine exposure influences Fos and nNOS expression in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray, an area that is strongly implicated in analgesic tolerance development. Age-dependent effects of morphine exposure are determined using neuroanatomical tools in a rodent model. The broad long-term objective of the proposed research is to understand mechanisms contributing to morphine tolerance during postnatal development.
BAJIC (PI)

2. NIH Support Opportunity for Addiction Research (SOAR) for New Investigators (R03)
Title: Age Differences of Brain Circuits Mediating Morphine Effect and Morphine Tolerance
Dates:10/01/10-08/31/12
Gene expression differences with age and chronic morphine exposure are determined using PCR Arrays (SABiosciences) in a rodent model. The broad long-term objective of the study was to understand mechanisms contributing to morphine tolerance that differ with age.
BAJIC (PI)

3. The Anesthesia Research Distinguished Trailblazer Award, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Research Grant, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Title: Ontogeny of Supraspinal Mechanisms of Addiction
Dates: 01/01/13-12/12/14
Study examines the ontogeny of supraspinal mechanisms of addiction, specifically the role of cholinergic system in adolescent rat brain following chronic morphine administration. Experiments involve systems approach using fMRI, as well as cellular approach (fluorescent immunohistochemistry).
BAJIC (PI)

CURRENT Funding Information:

1. NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08): 1K08DA035972-01
Title: Immediate and Delayed Effects of Morphine on Brain Circuits: Animal – Human Correlation
Dates: 06/07/13-06/31/18
This mentored clinical scientist research career award (K08) is unique in its translational effort to define the impact of prolonged morphine exposure in the rats of different ages using neuroimaging, behavioral, and immunohistochemical techniques (AIM 1), as well as in children of different ages using neuroimaging (AIM 2). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in both rats and children will allow a translational systems level investigation of prolonged morphine administration and its long-term effects.
BAJIC (PI)