LCTS - Unit on Human Physiology and Pharmacokinetics (HPP)

Vijay Ramchandani, PhD, Chief
Unit on Human Physiology and Pharmacokinetics, LCTS
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

National Institutes of Health

10 Center Drive, Room 10-CRC/2-2352: MSC 1540

Bethesda MD 20892-1540
telephone: 301.402.8527

e-mail: vijay.ramchandani@mail.nih.gov

Vijay Ramchandani obtained his undergraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Bombay University in India in 1990, and his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA in 1996. From 1996 to 2002, he worked at the Alcohol Research Center at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, first as a Research Associate and then as an Assistant Scientist and Part-time Assistant Professor. In 2003, he joined NIAAA as a Staff Scientist in the Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, and in 2007, he became Chief of the newly-formed Unit on Human Physiology and Pharmacokinetics.

What we do

The Unit conducts studies characterizing the CNS pharmacodynamics of alcohol in humans using behavioral, neuroendocrine, electrophysiological and functional imaging measures. These studies, conducted in social and high-risk drinkers, enable the evaluation of genetic and environmental risk factors influencing the acute and adaptive responses to alcohol. The Unit also conducts studies to evaluate the influence of factors, including sex, age, body mass and liver volume, on the pharmacokinetics of alcohol in humans, using the IV alcohol clamp and advanced pharmacokinetic modeling methods.

Current plans include the development of human laboratory paradigms, utilizing intravenous (IV) alcohol challenge and self-administration methods, that can be used to screen novel potential treatments for alcoholism in terms of their ability to alter the pharmacological effects of alcohol and/or alcohol self-administration behavior.

Current staff

Julnar Issa
Technical IRTA
telephone: 301.451.0308
issaje@mail.nih.gov

Protocols

03-AA-0283 Influence of Age and Sex on Alcohol Metabolism and Acute Responses (PI: Vijay A. Ramchandani, PhD).

07-AA-0026 OPRM1 A118G SNP, Alcohol Response, and Striatal Dopamine (PI: Markus Heilig, MD, PhD)

NIAAA Clinical Protocols & link to all NIH Clinical Protocols

Selected Publications

ORIGINAL PUBLICATIONS

Gilman JM, Ramchandani VA , Davis MB, Bjork JM and Hommer DW. Why we like to drink: An fMRI Study of the Rewarding and Anxiolytic Effects of Alcohol. Journal of Neuroscience. 28(18):4583-91, 2008. PDF

Salloum JB, Ramchandani VA, Bodurka J, Rawlings R, Momenan R, George D, Hommer DW. Blunted rostral anterior cingulate response during a simplified decoding task of negative emotional facial expressions in alcoholic patients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 31(9):1490-1504, 2007 September. PDF

Plawecki MH, DeCarlo R, Ramchandani VA, O’Connor S. Improved transformation of morphometric measurements for a priori parameter estimation in a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model of ethanol. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control. 2(2):97-110, 2007 April. PDF

Ramchandani VA, O’Connor S, Neumark YD, Zimmermann US, Morzorati SL, de Wit H. The alcohol clamp: Applications, challenges and new directions – An RSA 2004 symposium summary. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 30(1):155-164, 2006 January. PDF

Han J-J, Plawecki MH, Doerschuk PC, Ramchandani VA, O’Connor S. Ordinary differential equation models for ethanol pharmacokinetics based on anatomy and physiology. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society International Conference Proceedings. (article 4029183) 1:5033-5036, 2006. PDF

Khaole NC, Ramchandani VA, Viljoen DL, Li T-K. A pilot study of alcohol exposure and pharmacokinetics in women with or without children with fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol Alcohol. 39(6):503-508, 2004 November-December. PDF

Kareken DA, Claus ED, Sabri M, Dzemidzic M, Kosobud AEK, Radnovich AJ, Hector D, Ramchandani VA, O’Connor SJ, Lowe M, Li T-K. Alcohol-related olfactory cues activate the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area in high-risk drinkers: Preliminary findings. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 28(4):550-557, 2004 April. PDF

Neumark YD, Friedlander Y, Durst R, Leitersdorf E, Jaffe D, Ramchandani VA, O’Connor S, Carr LG, Li T-K. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH2) polymorphisms influence alcohol elimination rates in a male Jewish population. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 28(1):10-14, 2004 January. PDF

Plawecki MH, DeCarlo RA, Ramchandani VA, O’Connor S. Estimation of ethanol infusion profile to produce a specified BrAC time course using physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society International Conference Proceedings. 1:778-781, 2004. PDF

Ramchandani VA, Flury L, Morzorati S, Kareken D, Blekher T, Foroud T, Li T-K, O'Connor S. Recent Drinking History: Association with family history of alcoholism and the acute response to alcohol during a 60 mg% clamp. J Stud Alcohol. 63:734-744, 2002. PDF

Ramchandani VA, Kwo PY, Li T-K. Influence of food and food composition on alcohol elimination rates in healthy men and women. J Clin Pharmacol. 41:1345-1350, 2001. PDF

Li T-K, Yin S-J, Crabb DW, O’Connor S, Ramchandani VA. Genetic and environmental influences on alcohol metabolism in humans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 25:136-144, 2001. PDF

Ramchandani VA, Bolane J, Li T-K, O'Connor S. A physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for alcohol facilitates rapid BrAC clamping. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 23:617-623, 1999. PDF

REVIEWS AND BOOK CHAPTERS

Ramchandani VA, O’Connor S. Studying alcohol elimination using the alcohol clamp method. Alcohol Research and Health. 29(4):286-290, 2006. PDF

Ramchandani VA. Genetic aspects of alcohol metabolism. In Alcohol in disease: Nutrient interactions and dietary intake (Watson RR and Preedy VR, ed). Boca Raton: CRC Press. 187-199, 2004. PDF

Ramchandani VA, Bosron WF, Li T-K. Research advances in ethanol metabolism. Pathologie Biologie. 49(9):676-682, 2001 November. PDF

Alcohol publications can also be found using the ETOH Database

FIND PUBLICATIONS USING PubMed

NIH Research and Training Opportunities

Updated: July 2008