Jay McLaughlin, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacodynamics and the CVS/Pharmacy Inc. Professor in the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, was named a UF Research Foundation Professor for 2025. McLaughlin and 34 other UF faculty received this recognition as “the university’s most productive and promising faculty members,” according to a UF News release.
McLaughlin called this award, which includes a $5,000 annual salary supplement and a one-time $3,000 grant, a deeply humbling honor.
“I want to note the other recipients and candidates, who are doing some astonishing work in their fields. Being recognized sets a high bar, one that I will work hard to honor,” McLaughlin said. “I am also deeply grateful, both for myself and more importantly, for the people in my life who made this possible. My wife and children, my amazing collaborators and the incredible team of students and staff I work with all deserve equal credit for this award. I couldn’t do any of this without them, and I’m really pleased to acknowledge them here, as they each deserve.”
McLaughlin’s research combines principles of basic science and drug discovery, incorporating molecular, pharmacological, anatomical and behavioral methods. By characterizing behaviors, their associated psychological disorders and their underlying neurobiological systems, McLaughlin aims to develop novel therapeutic interventions. Though the process of scientific discovery comes with its fair share of challenges, McLaughlin never loses his inspiration, sourced from the potential to create a measurable impact on patients’ lives.
“Scientific research is always challenging,” McLaughlin said. “I was once told our job is essentially to test our ideas to destruction. That’s hardly comfortable, but the opportunity to learn something truly new and contribute that insight to the community, hopefully helping their work, is intriguing and meaningful to me.”
McLaughlin’s lab currently focuses on two research areas: first, he studies the neurological basis of the cognitive deficits, mood disorders and increased addiction liabilities associated with NeuroAIDS, a syndrome common in patients with HIV. Second, his work in opioid receptor pharmacology intends to accelerate the development of improved analgesics and treatments for substance abuse that have reduced liabilities for addiction, abuse, respiratory depression and overdose.
“I was trained in the specialty of opioid pharmacology as a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher under two outstanding experts in the field: Dr. Jean Bidlack and Dr. Charles Chavkin. Both helped me recognize how this specialty ties closely into neuroscience questions, like how the body’s natural opioids and their actions play key roles in regulating pain, emotion and reward. So, my two research interests have more in common than first blush might suggest,” he said. “Beyond that, my grandmother inspired me to become a neuroscientist. She made me want to better understand the why and how of psychiatric disorders and to do something about them to help.”
Over the course of his career, McLaughlin has published more than 110 peer-reviewed articles and generated over $15 million dollars in National Institutes of Health funding as a principal investigator. He’s produced 10 patents or patent applications. He’s also mentored nine UF Ph.D. students, several postdoctoral trainees and more than 100 undergraduate students in his laboratory. Though his CV and expertise make him an attractive candidate for research faculty positions around the globe, there’s only one place McLaughlin wants to conduct his work: the UF College of Pharmacy.
“I’m incredibly fortunate to work in a university with the infrastructure, colleagues and know-how to conduct this research, moreover a place that prides itself on being collaborative and helpful to all. The UF College of Pharmacy is a fantastic example of this, synergistically mixing research with the practice of medicine to advance new insights and drug development,” he said. “It’s an outstanding environment to foster education and innovation, with an incalculable impact on my science.”
The UF Office of Research will honor McLaughlin and his fellow 2025 UF Research Foundation Professors during an event in the fall.