Overview

Education and Training
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, Ph.D., 2012
Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Postdoctoral Fellow, 2013-2017
Positions and Selected Honors
2026 - present Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
2023- 2025 Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
2021-2022 Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
2017-2021 Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida
2024 - 2028 Standing NIH study section member ??? DMPB study section
2024 ??? Current Associate editor for Frontiers Pain Research
2023-2026 Elected Councilor; Behavioral Pharmacology Executive Committee, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
2015-2017 Ruth L. Kirschstein F32 Individual National Research Service Award, (F32DA038493)

Ad hoc reviewer for 28 American and international journals

Education

PHD, 2012, University of New Mexico

Relevant Publications

Zuarth Gonzalez, J.D.; Ragsdale, A.K.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; McCurdy, C.R.; McMahon, L.R.; Obeng, S.; Wilkerson, J.L. (2025) Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine: Bidirectional effects on breathing in rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. Nov;392(11):103720. doi: 10.1016/j.jpet.2025.103720. Epub 2025 Sep 22. PMID: 41106041.

Tareq, S.; Ewida, H.A.; Zoubi, S.; Benson, H.; Patel, D.; Diab, H.; Patra, S.; Redrovan, D.; Nozohouri, E.; Bassani, T.B.; Cardoso, A.C.; Frimpong-Manson, K.; Khodavirdilou, L.; Aziz, M.T.; Wilkerson, J.L.; Thompson, J.; Bickel, U.; Chelikani. P.K.; Farag, A.; Ahmed, M.S., (2025) Discovery of pan-EphB tyrosine kinase inhibitor for metabolic syndrome sparing EphB3 signaling in mice; Pharmacol Res., Sep;219:107900. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2025.107900. Epub 2025 Aug 5. PMID: 40769385.

Ortiz, Y.T.; Nguyen, T.; Wilkerson, J.L. (2025) Antinociceptive effects of intrathecal neuropeptide B/W receptor 1 agonists in mouse acute nociception, peripheral neuropathy, and inflammatory pain models; Pharmacol Rep., doi: 10.1007/s43440-025-00761-2. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40742652

Zuarth Gonzalez, J.D.; Mottinelli, M.; McCurdy, C.R.; de Lartigue, G.; McMahon, L.R.; & Wilkerson, J.L. (2024) Mitragynine and morphine produce dose-dependent bimodal action on food but not water intake in rats. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2024 Dec 1;327(6):R568-R579. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00128.2024. Epub 2024 Sep 9. PMID: 39250542.

Ortiz, Y.T.; Shamir, L.G.; McMahon, L.R.; & Wilkerson, J.L. (2024) Characterization of commercially available murine fibrosarcoma NCTC-2472 cells both in vitro and as a model of bone cancer pain in vivo. PLoS One. 2024 Aug 29;19(8):e0309398. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309398. PMID: 39208033; PMCID: PMC11361427.

Frimpong-Manson, K.; Ortiz, Y.T.; McMahon, l.R.; & Wilkerson, J.L. (2024) Advances in Understanding Migraine Pathophysiology: A Bench to Bedside Review of Research Insights and Therapeutics. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 17: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2024.1355281

Luque-Sanchez, K.; Felix, J.S.; Bilbrey, J.A.; Restrepo, L.; Reeves, M.; McMahon, L.R. & Wilkerson, J.L. (2023). Evaluation of novel epibatidine analogs in the rat nicotine drug discrimination assay and in the rat chronic constriction injury neuropathic pain model. Adv. Drug Alcohol Res. 3:11622. doi: 10.3389/adar.2023.11622

Ortiz, Y.T.; Bilbrey, J.A.; Felix, J.S.; Kienegger, E.A.; Mottinelli, M.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; McCurdy, C.R.; McMahon, L.R. & Wilkerson, J.L. (2023). Cannabidiol and mitragynine exhibit differential interactive effects in the attenuation of paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia, acute antinociception, and schedule-controlled responding in mice. Pharmacological Reports : PR, 10.1007/s43440-023-00498-w. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43440-023-00498-w

Obeng, S.; Le??n, F.; Patel, A.; Zuarth Gonzalez, J.D.; Da Silva, L.C.; Restrepo, L.F.; Gamez-Jimenez, L.R.; Ho, N.P.; Guerrero Calvache, M.P.; Pallares, V.L.; Helmes, J.A.; Shiomitsu, S.K.; Soto, P.L.; McCurdy, C.R.; McMahon, L.R.; Wilkerson, J.L.; and Hiranita, T. (2022). Interactive Effects of ??-Opioid and Adrenergic-??2 Receptor Agonists in Rats: Pharmacological Investigation of the Primary Kratom Alkaloid Mitragynine and Its Metabolite 7-Hydroxymitragynine. . J Pharmacol Exp Ther JPET-AR-2022-001192. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.122.001192 PMID: 36153006

Ortiz, Y.T.; McMahon, L.R.; and Wilkerson, J.L. (2022). Medicinal Cannabis and Central Nervous System Disorders. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13, 881810. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.881810 PMID: 35529444

Areas Of Interest

Behavioral Pharmacology & Drug Development

Cannabinoids

Drug Abuse/Dependence

Inflammation

Natural Products

Pathological Pain

Sex differences and sex hormone implications