Mei-Chuan Ko, PhD

Areas of Expertise

Substance Use Disorders
Basic & Translational Neuroscience
Sleep & Circadian Health

Expertise & Interests Selected Publications Education & Credentials Related News

Expertise & Interests

Research Interests

Substance use disorders; Sensory processing (pain and itch); Drug efficacy and therapeutic window

Clinical Interests

Comorbidities with chronic pain; Management of opioid-induced side effects; Neuromodulation

Education Interests

Research mentorship; Graduate student education; Postdoctoral fellow education

Selected Publications

Zhao J, Bang S, Furutani K, McGinnis A, Jiang C, Roberts A, Donnelly CR, He Q, James ML, Berger M, Ko MC, Wang H, Palmiter RD, Ji RR. (2023) PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint pathway regulates hippocampal neuronal excitability and learning and memory behavior. Neuron 111(17):2709-2726.e9. PMID: 37348508
Kiguchi N, Ding H, Park SH, Mabry KM, Kishioka S, Shiozawa Y, Romero-Sandoval EA, Peters CM, Ko MC. (2022) Functional roles of neuromedin B and gastrin-releasing peptide in regulating itch and pain in the spinal cord of non-human primates. Biochemical Pharmacology 198:114972. PMID: 35189108
Ding H, Ko MC. (2021) Translational value of non-human primates in opioid research. Experimental Neurology 338:113602 (Special Issue: Opioid Analgesia and Opioid Use Disorder). PMID: 33453211
Donnelly CR, Jiang C, Andriessen AS, Wang K, Wang Z, Ding H, Zhao J, Luo X, Lee MS, Lei YL, Maixner W, Ko MC, Ji RR. (2021) STING controls nociception via type-I interferon signalling in sensory neurons. Nature 591(7849):275-280. PMID: 33442058
Ding H, Kiguchi N, Yasuda D, Daga PR, Polgar WE, Lu JJ, Czoty PW, Kishioka S, Zaveri NT, Ko MC. (2018) A bifunctional nociceptin and mu opioid receptor agonist is analgesic without opioid side effects in nonhuman primates. Science Translational Medicine 10(456):eaar3483 (Selected as a cover story). PMID: 30158150
Ding H, Kiguchi N, Dobbins M, Romero-Sandoval EA, Kishioka S, Ko MC. (2023) Nociceptin receptor-related agonists as safe and non-addictive analgesics. Drugs 83(9):771-793. PMID: 37209211
Chen Y, Wang ZL, Yeo M, Zhang QJ, Lpez-Romero AE, Ding HP, Zhang X, Zeng Q, Morales-Lzaro SL, Moore C, Jin YA, Yang HH, Morstein J, Bortsov A, Krawczyk M, Lammert F, Abdelmalek M, Diehl AM, Milkiewicz P, Kremer AE, Zhang JY, Nackley A, Reeves TE, Ko MC, Ji RR, Rosenbaum T, Liedtke W (2021) Epithelia-sensory neuron crosstalk underlies cholestatic itch induced by lysophosphatidylcholine. Gastroenterology 161(1):301-317.e16. PMID: 33819485
Ding H, Trapella C, Kiguchi N, Hsu FC, Calo G, Ko MC. (2021) Functional profile of systemic and intrathecal cebranopadol in nonhuman primates. Anesthesiology 135(3):482-493. PMID: 34237134
Wang Z, Jiang C, He Q, Matsuda M, Han Q, Wang K, Bang S, Ding H, Ko MC, Ji RR. (2020) Anti-PD-1 treatment impairs opioid antinociception in rodents and nonhuman primates. Science Translational Medicine 12(531):eaaw6471. PMID: 32075945
Kiguchi N, Ding H, Peters CM, Kock ND, Kishioka S, Cline JM, Wagner JD, Ko MC. (2017) Altered expression of glial markers, chemokines, and opioid receptors in the spinal cord of type 2 diabetic monkeys. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) Molecular Basis of Disease 1863(1):274-283. PMID: 27751964

Education & Credentials

Education & Training

Education

PhD, Biopsychology, University of Michigan

Postdoctoral

Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, University of Michigan School of Medicine

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Member, Society for Neuroscience
Member, United States Association for the Study of Pain
Member, College on Problems of Drug Dependence

Selected Honors & Awards

New Team Science Award, Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Research Faculty Achievement Award, University of Michigan
Wyeth-Ayerst Young Psychopharmacologist Award, American Psychological Association