Ator, Nancy A., Ph.D.

Professor
Director, Division of Behavioral Biology

Main Office Address

Behavioral Biology Research Center, Room 3000
Johns Hopkins Bayview Campus
5510 Nathan Shock Drive
Baltimore, MD 21224

Phone 410-550-2773
Fax 410-550-2780

E-mail: ator@jhmi.edu

Administrative Assistant

Kelley Waddell
Phone: 410-550-2800
Email: kwaddel2@jhmi.edu

Education

Professional Interests

• Behavioral pharmacology and drug abuse 
• Preclinical characterization of anxiolytics, hypnotics 
• In vivo characterization of selective GABAergic compounds to determine behavioral relevance of novel in-vitro activity with respect to drug abuse
• Study of interoceptive stimulus functions of psychoactive drugs 

Selected Publications

Ator NA, Weerts EM, Kaminski, BJ, Kautz MA, Griffiths RR. Zaleplon and triazolam physical dependence assessed across increasing doses under a once-daily dosing regimen in baboons.  Drug and Alcohol Dependence:61:69-84. (2000)

Ator NA, Kautz MA.  Differentiating benzodiazepine and barbituate-like discriminative stimulus effects of lorazepam, diazepam, pentobarbital, imidazenil, and zaleplon in two versus three lever procedures.  Behavioural Pharmacology:11:1-14.  (2000)

Ator NA.  Zaleplon and triazolam: Drug discrimination, plasma levels, and self-administration in baboons.  Drug and Alcohol Dependence: 61:69-84.  (2000)

Ator NA.  Relation between discriminative and reinforcing effects of midazolam, pentobarbital, chlordiazepoxide, zolpidem, and imidazenil in baboons.  Psychopharmacology: 163:477-487.  (2002)

Ator NA, Griffiths RR.  Principles of drug abuse liability assessment in laboratory animals.  Drug and Alcohol Dependence: 70: S55-S72.  (2003)

Ator NA. Contributions of GABAa receptor subtype selectivity to abuse liability and dependence potential of pharmacological treatments for anxiety and sleep disorders.  CNS Spectrums:10: 31-39. (2005)