Journal of Neuroscience and Neurosurgery

Takato Hiranita

Designation: Scientist

Department: Department of Neurotoxicology

Institution: National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR)

Country: United States

Dr. Hiranita earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan, and have been a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Jonathan L. Katz at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Also, he has been a Research Associate in the laboratory of Dr. Linda R. Watkins at the University of Colorado at Boulder and has been conducting experiments at NIDA for research collaboration under the supervision of Dr. Watkins. Using drug self-administration procedures in rodents and primates and drug discrimination procedures in rodents he has examined novel dopamine uptake inhibitors as potential medications to treat cocaine abuse. In addition, he found that cocaine self-administration is decreased by combined treatment with the dopamine uptake inhibitors and antagonists at the σ receptor which may shed light on the mechanisms underlying the intractability of stimulant abuse. He has published many in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of several journals.