Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction

Blood Brain Barrier Dysfunction and Substance Abuse Research Division

Mission Statement

The blood-brain barrier appears to be compromised during the course of chronic exposure to abused substances. The disruption is independent of the pharmacological features that drive abuse.  This division is composed of scientists that are experts in endothelial biology, blood-brain barrier function and electrophysiology.  They have come together to bring a unique perspective to understanding the mechanisms that underlie the dynamic nature of blood-brain barrier function, and dysfunction as it pertains to substance abuse.

— Paul Carvey, PhD

Division Staff Profiles

Paul M. Carvey, PhD
Paul M. Carvey, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Neurological Sciences and Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Carvey also serves as Dean of the Graduate School at Rush University. He has published extensively on topics ranging from dopamine loss as it relates to Parkinson’s Disease to examining how pre-natal exposure of various substances affect the postnatal brain of rats. Dr. Carvey is author of “Basic Principles of the CNS Drug Action.” Additionally, he has served as Principal Investigator on several studies related to neuron loss and Parkinson’s disease and has participated and published in several clinical trials. He has submitted a grant application to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), examining the role of the Blood Brain Barrier in Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Carvey is considered an expert in animal models of diseases.

William Hendey, PhD
William Hendey, PhD, is Director of the Graduate Program and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Rush University Medical Center. He is a consulting reviewer for several scientific journals and served on several NIH study sections. He has published on scientific topics in the fields of cell signaling, and immune response and the disruption of the blood brain barrier. Dr. Hendey received several grants studying immune cell motility in response to inflammation.  He currently is Principal Investigator on a study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Prior to his research and teaching career, he was awarded a research training grant from the National Institute of Health and served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology at Columbia University in New York City.

Xiu-Ti Hu, MD, PhD
Xiu-Ti Hu, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Rush University Medical Center and serves as a researcher in both the HIV-AIDS and Mental Health Divisions of the Center for Compulsive Behaviors and Addiction. Dr.Hu is a NIDA-funded expert in the patho-physiology of addictions, specifically in using electrophysiological and neuro-pharmacological approaches to study ion channel function of neurons in the brain of rodent models of human addiction. He has published extensively on these topics and served as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI on studies examining neuroadaptations of the brain in response to chronic exposure to amphetamine and cocaine. He also brings to the Center an extensive knowledge of neurochemistry involved in chemical dependency. 

Hazel Lum, PhD
Hazel Lum, PhD, is a Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Pharmacology at Rush University Medical College. She did her doctoral work in anatomy and cellular biology at the University of California at Davis and her post-doctoral work in Respiratory Physiology at Johns Hopkins University. She has published several articles on thrombin-induced endothelial permeability and others in the field of respiratory physiology. Dr. Lum has served on several NIH Study Sections and was awarded the NIH Individual National Service Award during her post-doctoral training. She serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology and is Principal Investigator on the NIH study, “PKA in Reduction of Endothelial Permeability.” She is a member of several professional scientific societies.

Daniel Predescu, PhD

Daniel Predescu, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at Rush University Medical Center. His specialties include cell biology, immunology, animal models, proteomics and genomics and cellular and molecular cloning. He has published extensively in journals, abstracts and co-authored a text: “Recent Advances in Microscopy of Cells, Tissues and Organs.” He also has perfected techniques in imaging, immunological methods and biochemical, laboratory animal and molecular biology techniques.

Sanda A. Predescu, PhD
Sanda A. Predescu, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Rush University Medical Center. She obtained both her doctorate (Molecular Pathology) and began her post-doctoral work (Cell Biology) at the University of California at San Diego. She has published several journal articles on topics related to endothelial permeability. She is also Principal Investigator on two studies funded by the NIH and American Heart Association, examining the vascular permeability and microvascular injury in the lungs of mice.

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