Douglas F. Covey, Ph.D.

DEPARTMENT OF Developmental Biology
Keywords: cholesterol, ion channel, medicinal chemistry, neurobiology, pharmacology, steroids

We are interested in the chemistry and biology of steroids. My laboratory specializes in natural products chemistry as it relates to the synthesis of steroids and steroid analogues. The compounds prepared in the laboratory are then studied in laboratories of colleagues throughout the university, and elsewhere, who share with us a common interest in the biological actions of steroids. Currently our efforts are focused in three main areas: neuroactive steroids; neuroprotective steroids; and cholesterol and bile steroid homeostasis.

Neuroactive steroids affect the functioning of ion-channels involved in synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. Some of these neuroactive steroids are potent anesthetics and the chemistry carried out on this project is designed either to provide mechanistic information on how steroids cause anesthesia or to provide new structure–activity data for the development of new anesthetic steroids.

Neuroprotective steroids are steroids that prevent or reduce neurodegeneration. We are interested in steroids that prevent neuronal cell death caused by oxidative damage.

The complex process whereby cells regulate the production and distribution of cholesterol and bile steroids in cells is incompletely understood. Steroids prepared in this project area are selected for their ability to provide a better understanding of this complex regulation.