Gene-Jack Wang, BNL Medical

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Phone: (631) 344-3715
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Gene-Jack Wang

Senior Scientist

Telephone: (631) 344-3608
e-mail: gjwang@bnl.gov
see also: PET Research

News Release with Video

Recent News

Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lab Scientist Gene-Jack Wang Honored at Asian Pacific American Association Celebration

Research Interests

Dr. Wang’s research focuses on the application of PET and functional MRI to the study of various brain disorders. He is interested in using PET to study the neuro-psychiatric mechanisms and manifestations of alcoholism, drug addiction, obesity and eating disorder in humans and in animal models. Using PET, he reported similarity of brain circuits’ disruption in drug addiction and in obesity. Currently, he uses PET to study the effects of drug expectation on the ability of psychostimulants to increase extracellular DA and the relationship to the reinforcing and addictive properties of stimulant drugs in cocaine addicted subjects. His other interests include the study of diet control drug to brain satiety circuit using functional MRI. He has published over 220 peer-reviewed papers on his imaging research. The National Institute of Health and pharmaceutical companies fund his ongoing research.

Education & Concurrent Positions

Intern, Kaohsiung Medical College, 1979-1980.
M.D. Kaohsiung Medical College, 1980.
Medical Officer, Army Clinics, Taiwan, 1980-1982.
Research Assistant, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 1983-1984.
M.H.S. Johns Hopkins University, 1984.
Nuclear Medicine Resident, Univ. Missouri, 1984-1986.
Hematology Fellow, Albany Medical College, 1986-1988.
Nuclear Radiology Fellow, SUNY-SB, 1988-1990.
Research Collaborator, BNL, 1988-1990.
Assistant Scientist, BNL, 1990-1992.
Associate Scientist, BNL, 1992-1995.
Scientist with continued appointment, BNL 1995-2003.
Assistant Professor of Radiology, SUNY-SB, 1992-1999.
Associate Chief of Staff, CRC, BNL, 1996-1998.
Chief of Staff, CRC, BNL, 1998-1999.
Research Associate Professor of Radiology, SUNY-SB, 1999-2007.
Interim Chair, Medical Department, BNL, 1999-2000.
Medical Scientist with tenured appointment, BNL 2003-2005
Attending Physician, Nuclear Medicine, Glen Cove Hospital, 2004-present.
Professor of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 2006-present.
Research Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology, Stony Brook University (SUNY), 2007-present.
Chairman, Medical Department, BNL, 2006-present

Honors

The Clubhouse Award – Mental Illness Awareness Day, Clubhouse of Suffolk, Inc. 2002
Science and Technology Award – Brookhaven National Laboratory 2004

Selected Publications

Alia-Klein N., Parvaz M.A., Woicik P.A., Konova A., Maloney T., Shumay E., Wang R., Telang F., Biegon A., Wang G.-J., Fowler J.S., Tomasi D., Volkow N.D., Goldstein R.Z.
Gene x Disease Interaction on Orbitofrontal Gray Matter in Cocaine Addiction.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 68(3):283-294 (2011). PubMed
Delis F., Benveniste H., Xenos M., Grandy D., Wang G.-J., Volkow N.D., and Thanos P.K.
Loss of dopamine D2 receptors induces atrophy in the temporal and parietal cortices and the caudal thalamus of ethanol consuming mice.
Alcoholism Clinical and Expermental Research (2011). Submitted
Thanos P.K., Bermeo C., Wang G.-J., and Volkow N.D.
D-Cycloserine Facilitates Extinction of Cocaine Self-Administration in Rats.
Synapse, doi: 10.1002/syn.20922. (2011)[Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Thanos P.K., Bermeo C., Wang G.-J., and Volkow N.D.
D-Cycloserine Facilitates Extinction of Cocaine Self-Administration in Rats.
Synapse, doi: 10.1002/syn.20922. (2011)[Epub ahead of print]. PubMed
Thanos P.K., Cho J., Kim R., Michaelides M., Primeaux S., Bray G., Wang G.-J., and Volkow, N.D.
Bromocriptine increased operant responding for high fat food but decreased chow intake in both obesity-prone and resistant rats.
Behav Brain Res., 217(1):165-170 (2011). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Kim R., Cho J., Michaelides M., Anderson B.J., Primeaux S.D., Bray G.A., Wang G.-J., Robinson J.K., and Volkow N.D.
Obesity-resistant S5B rats showed great cocaine conditioned place preference than the obesity-prone OM rats.
Physiology and Behavior., 101:713-718 (2011).
Thanos P.K., Gopez V., Delis F., Michaelides M., Grand D.K., Wang G.-J., Kunos G., and Volkow N.D.
Upregulation of Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptors in Dopamine D2 Receptor Knockout Mice Is Reversed by Chronic Forced Ethanol Consumption.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res., 35(1):19-27. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01318.x. (2011). PubMed
Wang G.-J., Geliebter A., Volkow N.D., Telang F.W., Logan J., Jayne M.C., Galanti K., Selig P.A., Han H., Zhu W., Wong C.T., and Fowler J.S.
Enhanced Striatal Dopamine Release During Food Stimulation in Binge Eating Disorder.
OBESITY (Silver Spring). 2011 Feb 24. PubMed
Alia-Klein N., Parvaz M.A., Woicik P.A., Konova A., Maloney T., Shumay E., Wang R., Telang F., Biegon A., Wang G.-J., Fowler J.S., Tomasi D., Volkow N.D., Goldstein R.Z.
Gene x Disease Interaction on Orbitofrontal Gray Matter in Cocaine Addiction.
CONFERENCE: 49th Annual Meeting of the ACNP, Miami Beach, FL, Dec. 5-9, 2010.
Asensio S., Romero M.J., Romero F.J., Wong C.T., Alia-Klein N., Tomasi D., Wang G.-J., Telang F., Volkow N.D., Goldstein R.Z.
Striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability predicts the thalamic and medial prefrontal responses to reward in cocaine abusers three years later.
SYNAPSE, 64(5):397-402 (2010). PubMed
Biegon A., Kim S.W., Alexoff D.L., Jayne M., Carter P., Hubbard B., King P., Logan J., Muench L., Pareto D., Schlyer D., Shea C., Telang F., Wang G.J., Xu Y., and Fowler J.S.
Unique distribution of aromatase in the human brain: in vivo studies with PET and [N-methyl-11C]vorozole.
Synapse, 64(11):801-807 (2010). PubMed
Dunning J.P., Parvaz M.A., Hajcak G., Maloney T., Alia-Klein N., Woicik P.A., Telang F., Wang G.-J., Volkow N.D., and Goldstein R.Z.
Motivated Attention to Cocaine and Emotional Cues in Abstinent and Current Cocaine Users: An ERP Study.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE. 2010. Submitted.
Goldstein R.Z., Woicik P.A., Maloney T., Tomasi D., Alia-Klein N., Shan J., Honorio J., Samaras D., Wang R., Telang F., Wang G.J., and Volkow N.D.
Oral methylphenidate normalizes cingulate activity in cocaine addiction during a salient cognitive task.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES (USA), 107(38):16667-16672 (2010). PubMed
Goldstein R.Z., Woicik P.A., Moeller S.J., Telang F., Jayne M., Wong C., Wang G.-J., Fowler J.S., and Volkow N.D.
Liking and Wanting of Drug and Non-Drug Rewards in Active Cocaine Users: the STRAP-R Questionnaire.
Journal of Psychopharmacology, 24(2):257-266 (2010). PubMed
Moeller S.J., Maloney T., Parvaz M.A., Alia-Klein N., Woicik P.A., Telang F., Wang G.-J., Volkow N.D., Goldstein R.Z.
Impaired insight in cocaine addiction: laboratory evidence and effects on cocaine-seeking behavior.
Brain, 133:1484-1493 (2010). PubMed
Pfaffly J., Michaelides M., Wang G.-J., Pessin J.E., Volkow N.D., and Thanos P.K.
Leptin Increases Striatal Dopamine D2 Receptor Binding in Leptin-Deficient Obese (ob/ob) Mice.
Synapse, 64(7):503-510 (2010). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Habibi R., Michaelides M., Patel U.B., Suchland K., Anderson B.J., Robinson J.K., Wang G.J., Grandy D.K., and Volkow N.D.
Dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) deletion in mice does not affect operant responding for food or cocaine.
Behav Brain Res., 207(2):508-511 (2010). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Tucci A., Stamos J., Robison L., Wang G.-J., Anderson B.J., and Volkow N.D.
Chronic Forced Exercise Decreased Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference in Adolescent Male but not Female Lewis Rats.
Behav Brain Res., 215(1):77-82. (2010). PubMed
Tomasi D., Volkow N.D., Wang G.-J., Wang R., Telang F., Caparelli E.C., Wong C.T., Jayne M., and Fowler J.S.
Oral methylphenidate enhances brain activation and deactivation responses to visual attention and working memory tasks.
Neuroimage, (2010). Submitted.
Volkow N.D., Fowler J.S., Wang G.-J., Shumay E., Telang F., Thanos P., and Alexoff D.
Distribution and pharmacokinetics of methamphetamine in the human body: clinical implications.
PLOS ONE, 5(12):e15269 (2010). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.-J., Fowler J.S., Tomasi D., Telang F., and Baler R.
Addiction: Decreased reward sensitivity and increased expectation sensitivity conspire to overwhelm the brain’s control circuit.
Bioessays, 32(9):748-755 (2010). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.-J., Tomasi D., Telang F., Fowler J.S., Pradhan K., Jayne M., Logan J., Goldstein R.Z., Alia-Klein N., Wong C.T.
Methylphenidate attenuates limbic brain inhibition after cocaine-cues exposure in cocaine abusers.
PLOS ONE, 5(7):e1150-e1159 (2010). PubMed
Wang G.J., Geliebter A., Volkow N.D., Telang F.W., Logan J., Jayne M.C., Galanti K., Selig P.A., Han H., Zhu W., Wong C.T., and Fowler J.S.
Dopamine D4 receptors modulate brain metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum at rest and in response to methylphenidate.
Euro.Journal of Neurosci., 32(4):668-676 (2010). PubMed
Wang G.-J., Telang F., Logan J., Jayne M., Ma Y., Pradhan K., Wong C.T., and Swanson J.M.
Cognitive control of drug craving inhibits brain reward regions in cocaine abusers.
Neuroimage, 49:2536-2543 (2010). PubMed
Wang G.-J., Volkow N.D., Wigal T., Kollins S.H., Newcorn J.H., Telang T., Logan J., Jayne M., Wong C.T., Han H., Fowler J.S., and Swanson J.M.
Brain dopamine transporter level in patients with ADHD: an alternative Hypothesis.
Lancer, (2010). Submitted.
Wang R., Wang G.J., Goldstein R.Z., Caparelli E.C., Volkow N.D., Fowler J.S., and Tomasi D.
Induced magnetic force in human heads exposed to 4 T MRI.
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 31(4):815-820 (2010). PubMed
Xie J., Wang G.-J., Yow L., Cela C.J., Humayun M.S., Wieland J., Lazzi G., and Jadvar H.
Modeling and Percept of Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation in Humans. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. 2010. Submitted.
Wang G.J., Volkow N.D., Thanos P.K., and Fowler J.S.
Imaging of Brain Dopamine Pathways - Implications for Understanding Obesity.
J. Addict. Med., 3(1):8-18 (2009). PDF File
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Telang F., Fowler J.S., Goldstein R.Z., Alia-Klein N., Logan J., Wong C., Thanos P.K., Ma Y., and Pradhan K.
Inverse Association Between BMI and Prefrontal Metabolic Activity in Healthy Adults.
Obesity (Silver Spring), 17(1):60-65 (2009). PubMed PDF File
Wang G.J., Volkow N.D., Telang F., Jayne M., Ma Y., Pradhan K., Zhu W., Wong C.T., Thanos P.K., Geliebter A., Biegon A., and Fowler J.S.
Evidence of gender differences in the ability to inhibit brain activation elicited by food stimulation.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A., 106(4):1249-1254 (2009). PubMed PDF File
Alia-Klein N., Goldstein R.Z., Kriplani A., Logan J., Tomasi D., Williams B., Telang F., Shumay E., Biegon A., Craig I.W., Henn F., Wang G.-J., Volkow N.D., and Fowler J.S.
Brain Monoamine Oxidase A Activity Predicts Trait Aggression.
J Neurosci., 28(19):5099-5104 (2008). PubMed
Alia-Klein N., Kriplani A., Pradhan K., Ma Y., Logan J., Williams B., Craig I.W., Telang F., Tomasi D., Goldstein R., Volkow N.D., Wang G.-J., and Fowler J.S.
The MAO-A genotype does not modulate resting brain metabolism in adults.
Psychiatry Res., 164(1):73-76 (2008). PubMed
Chang L., Wang G.-J., Volkow N.D., Ernst T., Telang F., Logan J., and Fowler J.S.
Decreased brain dopamine transporters contribute to cognitive dysfunction in HIV patients with and without psychostimulant abuse.
Neuroimage, 42(2):869-878 (2008).
Fowler J.S., Volkow N.D., Logan J., Alexoff D., Telang F., Wang G.-J., Wong C.T., Ma Y., Pradhan K., Schlyer D., Jayne M., Hubbard B., Carter P., Warner D., King P., Shea C., Xu Y., and Muench L.
Fast Uptake and Long-Lasting Binding of Methamphetamine in the Human Brain: Comparison with Cocaine.
Neuroimage, 43(4):756-763 (2008). PubMed
Goldstein R., Parvas M.A., Maloney T., Alia-Klein N., Woicik P.A., Telang F., Wang G.-J., and Volkow N.D.
Compromised sensitivity to monetary reward in current cocaine users: an ERP study.
Psychophysiology, 45(5):705-713 (2008). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Ramalhete R.C., Michaelides M., Piyis Y.K., Wang G.J., and Volkow N.D.
Leptin receptor deficiency is associated with upregulation of cannabinoid 1 receptors in limbic brain regions.
Synapse, 62(9):637-642 (2008). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Michaelides M., Benveniste H., Wang G.-J., Volkow N.D.
The Effects of Cocaine on Regional Brain Glucose Metabolism is Attenuated in Dopamine Transporter Knockout Mice.
Synapse, 62(5):319-324 (2008). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Michaelides M., Gispert J.D., Pascau J., Soto-Montenegro M.L., Desco M., Wang R., Wang G.J., and Volkow N.D.
Differences in response to food stimuli in a rat model of obesity: in-vivo assessment of brain glucose metabolism.
Int. J. Obes. (Lond), 32(7):1171-1179 (2008). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Michaelides M., Ho C.W., Wang G.-J., Newman A.H., Heidbreder C.A., Ashby C.R., Jr., Gardner E.L., and Volkow N.D.
The Effects of Two Highly Selective Dopamine D3 Receptor Antagonists (SB-277011A and NGB-2904) on food self-administration in a rodent model of obesity.
Pharmacology Biochemistry Behavior, 89(4):499-507 (2008). PubMed
Thanos P.K., Michaelides M., Piyis Y.K., Wang G.J. and Volkow N.D.
Food restriction markedly increases dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) in a rat model of obesity as assessed with in-vivo μPET imaging ([¹¹C] raclopride) and in-vitro ([³H] spiperone) autoradiography.
Synapse, 62(1):50-61 (2008). PubMed
Tomer R., Goldstein R.Z., Wang G.J., Wong C. and Volkow N.D.
Incentive motivation is associated with striatal dopamine asymmetry.
Biol. Psychol., 77(1):98-101 (2008). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Fowler J.S., Wang G.-J., Telang F., Logan J., Wong C., Ma J., Pradhan K., Benveniste H., and Swanson J.M.
Methylphenidate decreased the amount of glucose needed by the brain to perform a cognitive task.
PLoS ONE, 3(4):e2017 (2008). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Ma Y., Zhu W., Fowler J.S., Li J., Rao M., Mueller K., Pradhan K., Wong C., and Wang G.-J.
Moderate Doses of Alcohol Disrupt the Functional Organization of the Human Brain.
Psychiatry Research, 162(3):205-213 (2008). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Fowler J.S., and Telang F.
Overlapping neuronal circuits in addiction and obesity: evidence of systems pathology.
Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci., 363(1507):3191-3200 (2008). PubMed PDF File
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Telang F., Fowler J.S., Logan J., Childress A.R., Jayne M., Ma Y. and Wong C.
Dopamine increases in striatum do not elicit craving in cocaine abusers unless they are coupled with cocaine cues.
Neuroimage, 39(3):1266-1273 (2008). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.-J., Telang F., Fowler J.S., Logan J., Wong C.T., Ma Y., Pradhan K., Tomasi D., Ferré S., and Jayne M.
Sleep Deprivation Increases Dopamine in the Human Brain: Association with Cognition and Fatigue.
Journal of Neuroscience, 28(34):8454-8461 (2008).
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Telang F., Fowler J.S., Thanos P.K., Logan J., Alexoff D., Ding Y.S., Wong C., Ma Y., and Pradhan K.
Low dopamine striatal D2 receptors are associated with prefrontal metabolism in obese subjects: possible contributing factors.
Neuroimage, 42(4):1537-1543 (2008). PubMed PDF File
Wang G.J., Tomasi D., Backus W., Wang R., Telang F., Geliebter A., Korner J., Bauman A., Fowler J.S., Thanos P.K. and Volkow N.D.
Gastric distention activates satiety circuitry in the human brain.
Neuroimage, 39(4):1824-1831 (2008). PubMed
Alia-Klein N., Goldstein R.Z., Tomasi D., Zhang L., Fagin-Jones S., Telang F., Wang G.J., Fowler J.S. and Volkow N.D.
What is in a word? No versus Yes differentially engage the lateral orbitofrontal cortex.
Emotion, 7(3):649-659 (2007). Erratum in: Emotion. 2007 Nov;7(4):735. PubMed
Alia-Klein N., Kriplani A., Logan J., Williams B., Zhu W., Craig I.W., Telang F., Goldstein R., Volkow N.D., Vaska P. and Wang G.J.
Evidence that brain MAO A activity does not correspond to MAO A genotype in healthy male subjects.
Biol. Psychiatry, 62(4):355-358 (2007). Epub 2006 Dec 4. PubMed
Logan J., Wang G.J., Telang F., Fowler J.S., Alexoff D., Zabroski J., Jayne M., Hubbard B., King P., Carter P., Shea C., Xu Y., Muench L., Schlyer D., Learned-Coughlin S., Cosson V., Volkow N.D. and Ding Y.S.
Imaging the norepinephrine transporter in humans with (S,S)-[11C]O-methyl reboxetine and PET: problems and progress.
Nucl Med Biol., 34(6):667-679 (2007). Epub 2007 Jun 8. PubMed
Thanos P.K., Michaelides M., Benveniste H., Wang G.J. and Volkow N.D.
Effects of chronic oral methylphenidate on cocaine self-administration and striatal dopamine D2 receptors in rodents.
Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav., 87(4):426-433 (2007). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Fowler J.S., Wang G.J., Swanson J.M. and Telang F.
Dopamine in drug abuse and addiction: results of imaging studies and treatment implications.
Arch Neurol., 64(11):1575-1579 (2007). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Fowler J.S., Telang F., Jayne M. and Wong C.
Stimulant-induced enhanced sexual desire as a potential contributing factor in HIV transmission.
Am. J. Psychiatry, 164(1):157-160 (2007). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Newcorn J., Fowler J.S., Telang F., Solanto M.V., Logan J., Wong C., Ma Y., Swanson J.M., Schulz K. and Pradhan K.
Brain dopamine transporter levels in treatment and drug naïve adults with ADHD.
Neuroimage, 34(3):1182-1190 (2007). Epub 2006 Nov 27. PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Newcorn J., Telang F., Solanto M.V., Fowler J.S., Logan J., Ma Y., Schulz K., Pradhan K., Wong C. and Swanson J.M.
Depressed dopamine activity in caudate and preliminary evidence of limbic involvement in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Arch.Gen. Psychiatry, 64(8):932-940 (2007). PubMed
Volkow N.D., Wang G.J., Telang F., Fowler J.S., Logan J., Jayne M., Ma Y., Pradhan K. and Wong C.
Profound decreases in dopamine release in striatum in detoxified alcoholics: possible orbitofrontal involvement.
J. Neurosci., 27(46):12700-12706 (2007). PubMed

Last Modified: September 21, 2012
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