Multiple Mechanisms of Opioid Tolerance

Bill Dewey earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from St. Bernadine of Siena College, The College of Saint Rose and The University of Connecticut, respectively. He did postdoctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. Louis Harris at the University of North Carolina and later became an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at that institution. In 1972 when Dr. Harris became the chair of Pharmacology at the Medical College of Virginia, he recruited Bill as an Associate Professor. Since that time, Bill has served as director of the graduate program in Pharmacology, Associate Dean and later Dean of the School of Basic Sciences, Assistant Dean of the Graduate School and Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. At one time, he served as director of three training grants from three different NIH institutes.

Dr. Dewey currently directs a NIDA training grant that is in year 25. His research has concentrated on the functional role of endogenous substances, including neurotransmitters, opioids, calcium, and CGRP in the mechanism of action morphine. His discovery of increased endogenous opioids in SIDS led to the use of naltrexone for the treatment of SIDS and other diseases with centrally induced respiratory depression. In addition to his opioid work, Dr. Dewey has contributed significantly to the pharmacology and our understanding of the mechanism of tolerance to cannabinoids. He served as the President of the CPDD, The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.