Youssef Sari, Ph.D.
Professor and Vice-Chair | Director of Graduate Program
Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Frederic and Mary Wolfe Center 282G
Phone: 419.383.3764
E-mail: youssef.sari@utoledo.edu
Area of Research
Sari's laboratory is currently investigating the neuropharmacology of modulating glutamate transport in drugs of abuse. Sari's laboratory has recently identified several FDA-approved drugs that can cross the brain blood barrier and facilitate glutamate neurotransmission and upregulate glutamate transporters. Sari's laboratory is currently investigating the pharmacological actions, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of novel drugs for the treatment of drugs of abuse, including ethanol and opioids. His research is focused on finding and testing therapeutic drugs, small molecules, for the treatment of alcohol dependence and opioid overdose and dependence as well as pain. He has contributed to the development and characterization of small molecules, beta-lactams, that regulate glutamate homeostasis to attenuate alcohol and opioid dependence as well as opioid overdose.
Dr. Sari's research programs have been funded for several years by prestigious awards from the National Institutes of Health. Based on his meritorious scientific achievements, he has secured several NIH funding for the last 15 years. He is member of several editorial boards, including Frontiers in Neuropharmacology. He is currently serving as Section-Editor-In Chief in Toxics Journal. He has been and still serving at several National of Institutes study sections dealing with the drugs of abuse. He has published over 125 articles in high impact peer reviewed journals, and over 10-chapter books.
Educational Background
| Ph.D., Neuroscience | Pierre and Marie Curie University, Institute of Neuroscience (Current name: Sorbonne University, Pierre Marie and Curie Campus) |
| M.S., Biomechanics and Physiology of Movement | Orsay University (Paris 11, France) |
| B.S., Cellular Biology | Denis Diderot University (Paris 7, France) |
| B.S. General Biology | Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco |
Training
Dr. Youssef Sari received his BS in General Biology and Cellular Biology. He then received his MS in Biomechanics and Physiology of Movement from Orsay University (Paris, France). He received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Pierre and Marie Curie University (Sorbonne University), Institute of Neurosciences (Paris, France). He subsequently held postdoctoral fellowship and faculty research positions at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis and Bloomington, Indiana, where he gained experience in medical neurobiology and psychopharmacological sciences. Dr. Sari moved to The University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to conduct his research in neuropharmacology of drug dependence and teach pharmacology to Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is also teaching pharmacology to medical students. He is a Fulbright Scholar Alumni.
Scope of Practice
- 2017-present: Director of Graduate Program, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- 2017-present: Vice Chair, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Toledo, Ohio.
- 2017-present: Professor (tenured), Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Toledo, Ohio.
- 2017-present: Professor (Joint appointment), Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Toledo, Ohio.
- 2019-present: Professor (Adjunct appointment), Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo Health Science Campus, Toledo, Ohio.
Awards, Honors and Grants
- 2011 Sigma Xi Young Investigator Award, University of Toledo, USA
- 2012 President Research and Scholarship Award, University of Toledo, USA
- 2015 Faculty Professional Development Award, The University of Toledo, USA
- 2019 Outstanding Faculty Research and Scholarship Award, The University Of Toledo
- 2018-2019 University of Toledo Leadership Institute program, monthly workshop during the academic year 2018-2019
- 2019-present Listed as Top #1 Expert Worldwide in the field of Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 (EAAT2, GLT-1) by Expertscape Inc.
- 2021 President's Award, Excellence in Creative and Scholarly Activity, The University of Toledo
- 2020-2021 Fellow of Mid-American Conference-Academic Leadership Development Program, USA
- 2021-2022 Fulbright US Scholar Award recipient to work in a project dealing with opioid overdose and teaching neuropharmacology to Pharmacy students, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 2024 President’s Award, Excellence in Creative and Scholarly Activity, The University of Toledo
- NIH awards: several R21s and R01s over the past 15 years of funding