Jacques Nguyen, Ph.D.

Education

Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Scripps Research Institute, 2015-2019

Ph.D., University of North Texas Health Science Center, 2014

B.S., University of Notre Dame, 2008

Biography

Prior to joining Baylor University, Dr. Nguyen was a Project Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Scripps Research Institute in the Department of Neuroscience and in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Taffe. Dr. Nguyen received his Ph.D. at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in the Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and in the laboratories of Drs. Michael Forster and Michael Gatch. He received his B.S. from the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Nguyen is a recipient of the K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health. His research program currently focuses on the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of substance use and addiction. Dr. Nguyen has significant experience in rodent-based behavioral models, including but not limited to intravenous self-administration, drug discrimination, locomotor activity assessment, and intracranial self-stimulation. Overall, Dr. Nguyen’s work has resulted in several published manuscripts in scientific journals, and his work has been recognized by scientific research organizations including the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, and the Society for Neuroscience. Dr. Nguyen is committed to service, participating as a subcommittee member for various scientific meetings and professional societies, as an ad hoc manuscript reviewer, and as a judge for competitive undergraduate/graduate programs and presentations. Dr. Nguyen joined the Baylor University Department of Psychology and Neuroscience in 2022.

Academic Interests and Research

The Nguyen lab is interested in the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the onset and development of substance use disorders and addiction. Areas of focus in the lab include neural circuits mediating drug-seeking behavior and dependence, the neurobiological effects of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) vapor exposure, and the behavioral and physiological consequences following exposure to opioids and cannabinoids. As a recipient of the K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Dr. Nguyen currently investigates mechanisms of opioid addiction, including kappa opioid receptor contributions to a compulsive-like escalation in oxycodone self-administration using chemogenetic methodology. His research program incorporates multidisciplinary methodologies (behavioral, molecular, and biochemical) to study mechanisms of reward and stress, which are closely associated with substance use, addiction, and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Select Publications

Nguyen, J.D., Grant, Y., Taffe, M.A. Paradoxical changes in brain reward status during oxycodone self-administration in a novel test of the negative reinforcement hypothesis. British Journal of Pharmacology, 2021 May 4. doi: 10.1111/bph.15520. Online ahead of print. PMCID: PMC8387405

Nguyen, J.D., Creehan, K.M., Kerr, T.M., Taffe, M.A. Lasting effects of repeated ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapor inhalation during adolescence in male and female rats. British Journal of Pharmacology, 2020 Jan;177(1):188-203. doi:10.1111/bph.14856. PMCID: PMC6976879

Nguyen, J.D., Grant, Y., Creehan, K.M., Hwang, C.S., Vandewater, S.A., Janda, K.D., Cole, M., Taffe, M.A. ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol attenuates oxycodone self-administration under extended access conditions. Neuropharmacology, 2019 Jun;151:127-135. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.04.010. PMCID: PMC6510273

Nguyen, J.D., Hwang, C.S., Grant, Y., Janda, K.D., Taffe, M.A. Prophylactic vaccination protects against the development of oxycodone addiction. Neuropharmacology, 2018 Aug;138:292-303. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.06.026. PMCID: PMC6800241

Boggs D.L., Nguyen, J.D., Morgenson, D., Taffe, M.A., Ranganathan, M. (2017). Clinical and preclinical evidence for functional interactions of cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2017 Sep 6. doi: 10.1038/npp.2017.209. PMCID: PMC5719112.

Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography.

Research Funding

K99/R00 DA047413 (NIH/NIDA)- Pathway to Independence Award

PI: Jacques D. Nguyen

Elucidating Behavior and Neural Circuits Underlying Opioid Addiction and Dependence

Awards:

CMCR Pilot Award, Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, University of California San Diego (2021-2022)

ACNP Travel Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (2020-2021 )

NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99 DA047413), National Institute on Drug Abuse (2019)

Stephen G. Holtzman Travel Award for Preclinical Investigators, College on Problems  of Drug Dependence (2019)                

Trainee Professional Development Award, Society for Neuroscience (2019)

Postdoctoral Travel Award, International Cannabinoid Research Society (2017)                

Symposium Chair, College of Problems of Drug Dependence (2017)

Washington Fellows Award, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2017)

Postdoctoral Travel Award, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Division for Behavioral Pharmacology (2017)                

Presentation Award (1st Place Postdoctoral Presentation Award), American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Division for Behavioral Pharmacology (2016)              

Presentation Award (1st Place, Outstanding Poster Presentation), University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio; Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry Translational Research in Addiction Meeting (2014)

Graduate Student Travel Award, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio; Behavior, Biology, and Chemistry Translational Research in Addiction Meeting (2014)

Harbans Lal Award for Outstanding Student in Pharmacology and Neuroscience UNTHSC, Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience (2014)                

Good Neighbor Scholarship, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (2014) 

Graduate Student Recruitment

Dr. Nguyen is currently accepting applications for Ph.D. students.

Courses Taught at Baylor

• NSC/PSY 4319 – Clinical Neuroscience