College of Pharmacy
McCurdy Lab
Led by Christopher McCurdy · Medicinal Chemistry
What we study
The McCurdy Lab studies pain and addiction treatments, focusing on opioid, sigma receptor, and Neuropeptide FF ligands. They develop diagnostic tools and novel drugs using synthesis, imaging, and collaborations with interdisciplinary teams.
What working here is like
- Wet lab
- No organisms (data only)
- No coding
- Projects
- 3
- Papers
- 6
Current projects
CM304/FTC146
A compound in clinical trials for diagnosing chronic pain using PET/MRI imaging.
Kratom research
Investigating Mitragyna speciosa for opioid withdrawal syndrome.
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Synthesis and Evaluation of A-ring Substituted Compounds Inspired by Mitragynine with an Open D-ring Structure
The lab designs and makes new chemical versions of a plant compound that may help treat opioid addiction. Students change parts of the molecule and test how these changes affect its ability to bind to opioid receptors.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 150
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
Recent papers, explained
- A Quantitative Framework for Characterizing Oral pH Dynamics
2026 · Journal of Dental Research
Develops a way to measure and analyze tooth acidity over time.
- Association of postmortem mitragynine positivity with fatal drug toxicity in polysubstance exposures—a restrospective analysis
2026 · Frontiers in Public Health
Looks at whether kratom use is linked to deaths from drug overdoses.
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- Mislabeling and Status of Semisynthetic Kratom‐Derived Products in the US Market
2026 · Drug Testing and Analysis
Examines mislabeling and safety issues with semisynthetic kratom products in the US market.
- Defining kratom: evidence-based policy guidelines for a rapidly evolving market
2026 · Frontiers in Pharmacology
Explains the different types of kratom products available in the market.
- Exploratory evaluation of encapsulated kratom using multimodal quantitative sensory testing in dogs
2026 · Frontiers in Pharmacology
Tests whether encapsulated kratom works as a painkiller in dogs, comparing it to buprenorphine and placebo.
- Simultaneous quantification of seventeen kratom alkaloids and metabolites in human plasma and its application to clinical pharmacokinetic sample analysis
2026 · Figshare
Develops a method to measure kratom alkaloids and metabolites in human blood samples.
Plain-language summaries are AI-written and reviewed by us; check the paper for details.
How to reach out
Christopher McCurdy hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.