Stephanie L. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Stephanie L. Collins is Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology in the Department of Psychiatry at The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. She received her undergraduate training in Psychology at Lafayette College (1995), and a M.A. (1996) and Ph.D. (2000) in Experimental Psychology from Boston University. Her graduate work included studying the effects of a cocaine vaccine and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors on cocaine-related behavior in rats in the laboratory of Dr. Kathleen Kantak. Following this, Dr. Collins completed a five-year postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Pharmacology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Here, she studied sex and age differences in cocaine-related behavior and neurochemistry in rats in the laboratory of Dr. Sari Izenwasser. In 2004, Dr. Collins joined the Substance Abuse Fellowship at Columbia University for a two-year fellowship. Here, she received training in human preclinical studies under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Foltin and Dr. Suzette Evans. Upon completion of the fellowship in 2006, Dr. Collins joined the faculty at Division of Substance Abuse at Columbia University. Her recent research interests include examining sex differences in cocaine abuse.

E-Mail: sc2432@columbia.edu

Current Research Activities
Sex differences in Factors Involved in Cocaine Abuse.
Although sex differences in response to cocaine administration clearly exist, there are limited data on factors, such as stress and impulsivity, that may be involved in this differential response to cocaine. Thus, the effects of cocaine on impulsivity task performance and the effects of laboratory stress exposure on cocaine self-administration will be examined in cocaine-dependent men and women not seeking treatment for their cocaine use. These studies will provide data relevant to the behavioral mechanisms underlying sex differences in cocaine abuse and the interaction between cocaine and stress and impulsivity factors. Sex differences in stress response and impulsivity would suggest that it is important to develop sex-specific treatment strategies targeting impulsive behavior or stress reduction in cocaine abusers.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
Collins S.L., Levin F.R., Foltin R.W., Kleber H.D. and Evans S.M. Response to Cocaine, Alone and in Combination with Methylphenidate, in Cocaine Abusers with ADHD. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 82: 158-67, 2006.

Collins S.L., Montano R. and Izenwasser S. Nicotine treatment produces persistent increases in amphetamine-stimulated locomotor activity in periadolescent male but not female or adult male rats. Developmental Brain Research, 153: 175-187, 2004.

Collins S.L. and Izenwasser S. Chronic nicotine differentially alters cocaine induced locomotor activity in adolescent vs. adult male and female rats. Neuropharmacology, 46: 349-362, 2004.