Sukhbir Mokha, Ph.D.
Professor, Meharry Medical College; Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University
Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology

(615) 327- 6933/6510
Room B47 Biomedical Center
1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Boulevard
Nashville, TN  37208

smokha@mmc.edu

Lab URL

CV or Bio (PDF)

M.Sc- University of Southampton (UK)
Ph.D. – Neurobiology - University of Edinburgh (UK)
Postdoctoral training + other positions: University of Edinburgh; MRC, National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London; University College London

Dr. Mokha’s laboratory is investigating the neurobiology of pain and analgesia in normal and pathological states using electrophysiological, behavioral, cellular and molecular techniques.  Many painful syndromes/disorders such as migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ/TMD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are more prevalent in women than in men.  Dr. Mokha and his colleagues are interested in understanding the biological mechanisms that generate the higher prevalence of painful syndromes in women.  Specifically, the laboratory is investigating whether activation of endogenous noradrenergic or serotonergic pathways involving G protein – coupled receptors (opioid, noradrenergic and serotonergic) produce estrogen-dependent, sex-specific inhibition of pain mechanisms , in both spinal and trigeminal systems.  Estrogen-dependent decreased inhibition in the female could contribute to the higher prevalence of painful syndromes in women.  They have already provided evidence that estrogen decreases the analgesic effects produced by activation of α₂-adrenoceptors and opiod or opiod-like receptors (ORL1) in the spinal cord and trigeminal system and have shown that estrogen alters the expression of the gene encoding ORL1.

Claiborne J, Nag S, Mokha SS.  Activation of opioid receptor like-1 receptor in the spinal cord produces sex-specific antinociception in the rat: estrogen attenuates antinociception in the female, whereas testosterone is required for the expression of antinociception in the male. J Neurosci. 2006; 26:13048-53.

Nag S, Mokha SS.   Activation of alpha2-adrenoceptors in the trigeminal region produces sex-specific modulation of nociception in the rat. Neuroscience. 2006;142: 1255-62.

Nag S, Mokha SS.  Estrogen attenuates antinociception produced by stimulation of Kolliker-Fuse nucleus in the rat. Eur J Neurosci. 2004; 20:3203-7.

Flores CA, Shughrue P, Petersen SL, Mokha SS.  Sex-related differences in the distribution of opioid receptor-like 1 receptor mRNA and colocalization with estrogen receptor mRNA in neurons of the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis in the rat. Neuroscience. 2003; 118:769-78.

Wang XM, Zhang ZJ, Bains R, Mokha SS.  Effect of antisense knock-down of alpha(2a)- and alpha(2c)-adrenoceptors on the antinociceptive action of clonidine on trigeminal nociception in the rat. Pain. 2002 (1-2): 27-35.