Staff profile

Dr Elvan Djouma

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Health Sciences

School of Public Health and Human Biosciences
Department of Human Biosciences

HS2-445, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

BA/BSc (Hons) Monash, PhD (Pharmacology) Monash, GradCertHigherEd La Trobe

Membership of professional associations

The Australian Neuroscience Society (ANS), The Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT), The International Behavioural Neuroscience Society (IBNS)

Area of study

Anatomy and Physiology

Brief profile

Elvan obtained her PhD in the field of neuropharmacology from Monash University before taking up an academic appointment in the Department of Human Biosciences as a Lecturer in pharmacology.  She has been responsible for the development  and co-ordination of pharmacology subjects taught by the Department of Human Biosciences and was awarded the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2011.  In addition to teaching undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of different courses, Elvan has mentored a number of Honours students to completion and is also principal supervisor to multiple PhD candidates.  Elvan's research interests lie in the field of neuropsychopharmacology and the underlying mechanisms in the brain that are involved in reward-seeking behaviour and addiction to drugs, a major universal health issue.

Teaching units

Pharmacology and Physiology

Recent publications

Journal Articles:

L. Guccione & A.G. Paolini , J. Penman & E. Djouma (2012) The effects of calorie restriction on operant-responding for alcohol in the alcohol preferring (iP) rat. Behavioural Brain Research,  230, 281-287.

H.B. Madsen, S. Navaratnarajah, J. Farrugia, E. Djouma, M. Ehrlich, T. Mantamadiotis, J.Van Deursen & A.J. Lawrence (2012) CREB1 and CREB-binding protein in striatal medium spiny neurons regulate behavioural responses to psychostimulants. Psychopharmacology, 219, 699-713.

B.L. Ash, & E. Djouma (2011) Galanin receptors as pharmacological targets in the treatment of addiction. Journal of Addiction Research and Therapy, S4:003. doi:10.4172/2155-6105. S4-003.

B.L. Ash, S.D Zanatta, S.J. Williams, A.J. Lawrence, & E. Djouma (2011) The galanin-3 antagonist, SNAP 37889, reduces preference for operant-responding of ethanol in alcohol-preferring iP rats. Regulatory Peptides, 166, 59-67.

S.J. McDonald, P.C.Dooley, A.C. McDonald, E. Djouma, J.A Schuijers, A.R. Ward & B.L. Grills. (2011) The α1 adrenergic receptor agonist, phenylephrine, actively contracts early rat rib fracture callus ex vivo. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 29, 740-745.

M. Bird, J. Kirchhoff, E. Djouma & A.J Lawrence (2008) Metabotrophic glutamate 5 receptors regulate sensitivity to ethanol in mice. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 11, 765-774.

D.H. Overstreet, A.H. Rezvani, E. Djouma & A.J Lawrence (2007) Depressive-like behaviour and high alcohol drinking co-occur in the FH/Wjd Rat but appear to be under independent genetic control, Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews, 31, 103-114.

E. Djouma, K. Card, D. Lodge & A.J Lawrence (2006) The CRF1 receptor antagonist, antalarmin, reverses isolation-induced up-regulation of dopamine D2 receptors in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens of Fawn-Hooded rats, European Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 3319-3327.

M.S Cowen*, E. Djouma* & A.J Lawrence (2005) The mGlu5 antagonist MTEP reduces ethanol self-administration in multiple strains of alcohol-preferring rats and regulates olfactory glutamatergic systems. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 315, 590-600. *equal first author

E. Djouma & A.J Lawrence (2002) The effect of chronic ethanol consumption and withdrawal on mu-opioid, dopamine D1 and D2 receptor density in Fawn-hooded rat brain. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 302, 551-559.

Conferences, Presentations and Proceedings (last 5 years):

B.L. Ash, S.Tsegay, S.J. Williams, A.J. Lawrence & E. Djouma (2012) The galanin-3 receptor antagonist, SNAP 37889, reduces breakpoint and re-instatement for ethanol in alcohol-preferring rats.  Federation of European Neurosciences (Presented in Barcelona, Spain). 

B.L. Ash, S.Tsegay, S.J. Williams, A.J. Lawrence & E. Djouma (2012) The galanin-3 receptor antagonist, SNAP 37889, reduces breakpoint and cue-induced relapse to ethanol in alcohol-preferring rats. International Behavioural Neuroscience Society Abstract., vol.21, no. 74, 2012 (Presented in Kona, Hawaii; USA).

E. Djouma, B.L. Ash, A.J. Lawrence, S.D. Zanatta & S.J. Williams (2011). The galanin-3 receptor (GALR3) antagonist, SNAP 37889, reduces operant responding for ethanol in alcohol-preferring (iP) rats. Proceedings of the 11th Southeast Asia Western Pacific (SEAWP) Regional Meeting of Pharmacologists in conjunction with The 84th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society: Yokohama, Japan.  Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, Volume 115, Supplement 1, Page 244P (P3J4-1).

B.L. Ash, S.D. Zanatta, S.J. Williams, A.J. Lawrence & E. Djouma (2011) The galanin-3 receptor antagonist, SNAP 37889, reduces operant responding for ethanol in alcohol-preferring rats. Proceedings of the Australian Neuroscience Society: Auckland, New Zealand.

L. Guccione, T. Paolini & E. Djouma (2011) The effects of calorie restriction on operant-responding for ethanol in the alcohol-preferring rat. Proceedings of the Australian Neuroscience Society: Auckland, New Zealand.

H. Madsen, S. Navaratnarajah, J. Farrugia, E. Djouma, M. Ehrlich, T. Mantamadiotis, T. Abel & A.J. Lawrence (2011) CREB1 and CREB binding protein in striatal medium spiny neurons regulate behavioural responses to psychostimulant. Proceedings of the Australian Neuroscience Society: Auckland, New Zealand.

E. Djouma, A.J. Lawrence, S.D Zanatta & S.J. Williams (2009) The galanin-3 antagonist, SNAP 37889, reduces preference for operant-responding of ethanol in alcohol-preferring iP rats. The Journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology,   Volume 19, Supplement 4, Page S643 (Presented in Istanbul, Turkey).

E. Djouma, Krstew, E. & A.J Lawrence (2008) Diazepam at an anxiolytic dose fails to alter operant-responding for ethanol in alcohol-preferring iP rats. Federation of Neurosciences Abstract., vol.4, 017.8, 2008 (Presented in Geneva, Switzerland).

Research projects

  • Karlene Scheller (PhD) - Investigating the role of the neuropeptide, galanin, in drug addiction. 
  • Belinda Louise Ash (PhD) - Characterisation of the galanin-3 receptor in drug-seeking behaviour.
  • Lisa Guccione (PhD) - Effect of calorie restriction on drug-seeking and impulsivity.