John R Traynor
Edward F Domino Research Professor of Pharmacology
Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy
Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
Available to mentor
John R Traynor
Professor
Manage Your Profile
About
I have studied opioids and opioid receptors for 30 years and have been continuously funded by NIDA since
1996. My work has been in the areas of structure-activity relationships, signaling and behavior. The long term
aim of these studies is to identify novel targets and medications to treat drug dependence and pain. My
training, both as a medicinal chemist and as a pharmacologist has been especially helpful and allowed me to
form a number of fruitful collaborations and have a general overview of the biology drug abuse. I completed a
4-year appointment as Director of the Substance Abuse Research Center and a 4 year term as President of
the International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC). I recently stepped down as Chair of the
Neuropharmacology Division of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
(ASPET) and I am currently a member of the ASPET Council
Links
Edward F. Domino Research Center Traynor Lab
Qualifications
-
Senior Research FellowUniversity of Leicester, Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, Leicester, United Kingdom
1993 - 1994
-
Visiting Research FellowPfizer Neuroscience Research Center, Cambridge, United Kingdom
1987 - 1987
-
Visiting ScientistZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Alderley Park, Cheshire, United Kingdom
1984 - 1985
-
Visiting Research FellowUniversity of Aberdeen, Unit for Research on Addictive Drugs, United Kingdom
1985 - 1985
-
Postdoctoral FellowMax Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Biochemical Pharmacology, Göttingen, Germany
1974 - 1976
-
Pharmacy ResidentKing's Mill Hospital, Pharmacy, Mansfield, UK, United Kingdom
-
PhDUniversity of Aston, Birmingham, UK, United Kingdom
1970 - 1973
-
B.Sc. PharmacyUniversity of Aston, Birmingham, UK, United Kingdom
1967 - 1970
Center Memberships
-
Center MemberOpioid Research Institute
-
Center MemberEisenberg Family Depression Center
Recent Publications
-
Powell AJ, Griggs NW, Iñiguez-Lluhí JA, Mosberg HI, Traynor JR. Molecular Pharmacology, 2026 Oct 1; 108 (10):Journal ArticleHigh potency μ-opioid receptor agonists engage sodium-bound receptor states
DOI:10.1016/j.molpha.2026.100152 PMID: 42759296 -
Li M, Zhang S, Powell AJ, Stewart HC, Ourlian LN, Vander Roest SR, Alt AJ, Rech JC, White AD, Traynor JR. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2026 Sep 10; 69 (17): 20188 - 20200.Journal ArticleStructure–Function Analysis of the Benzyloxy Moiety of the Delta-Opioid Receptor Positive Modulator BMS-986187: Identification of a Derivative with High Selectivity for the Delta-Opioid Receptor over the Mu-Opioid Receptor In Vitro and In Vivo
DOI:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6c00303 PMID: 42720491 -
Awad-Igbaria Y, Zhang Y, Aframian M, Faas GC, Charles A, Baca SM, Jutkiewicz E, von Mentzer B, Traynor J, Kendall D, Pradhan AA. J Headache Pain, 2026 Aug 6; 27 (1):Journal ArticlePN6047 demonstrates preclinical efficacy in headache models as a novel delta-opioid receptor agonist.
DOI:10.1186/s10194-026-02473-1 PMID: PMC13729637 -
Walicki MC, Mueller MR, Raigosa Garza N, Levitt ES, Traynor JR, Jutkiewicz EM, Birdsong WT. Behavioural Pharmacology, 2026 Aug 1; 37 (4): 139 - 149.Journal ArticleDelta opioid receptors on parvalbumin cells are necessary for the convulsant and anxiolytic effects of the delta agonist SNC80
DOI:10.1097/FBP.0000000000000882 PMID: 42213967 -
Jutkiewicz EM, Palleiko BA, Dripps IJ, Livingston KE, Roques BP, Clements BM, Traynor JR. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2026 Jul 1; 393 (7):Journal ArticlePositive allosteric modulation of the delta opioid receptor attenuates depression-like and pain-like behaviors but does not promote convulsions
DOI:10.1016/j.jpet.2026.104942 PMID: 42250290 -
Awad-Igbaria Y, Zhang Y, Aframian M, Faas GC, Charles A, Baca SM, Jutkiewicz E, von Mentzer B, Traynor J, Kendall D, Pradhan AA. 2026 Jun 12;PreprintPN6047 Demonstrates Broad Preclinical Efficacy in Headache Models as a Novel Delta-Opioid Receptor Agonist.
DOI:10.64898/2026.06.09.729278 PMID: 42327222 -
Clements BM, Berberoglu I, Burke KL, Kemp SWP, Traynor JR. 2026 May 6;PreprintEffects of the Mu Opioid Receptor Positive Allosteric Modulator BMS-986122 On Opioid Efficacy in Rat Neuropathic Pain States.
DOI:10.64898/2026.05.03.722511 PMID: 42146645 -
Mengchu L, Ajlen A, Mensch S, Duque J, Rech J, Traynor J. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2026 May 13; 393 (5): 104133Journal ArticleA First Drug-Like Mu-Opioid Receptor Negative Allosteric Modulators Demonstrating Efficacy in Preclinical Opioid Use Disorder Models (Abstract ID: 225713)
DOI:10.1016/j.jpet.2026.104133
Featured News & Stories
Health Lab
Study reveals how a popular fentanyl additive affects breathing and heart rate
Study reveals how a popular fentanyl additive, xylazine, affects breathing and heart rate.
Philanthropy News
Fellowship in pharmacology to continue the legacy of outstanding scientist and educator
Emily Jutkiewicz, Ph.D., pioneering pharmacologist and beloved educator, to be honored through graduate fellowship supporting groundbreaking research.
Health Lab
The solution to death from a fentanyl overdose could lie in its chemical structure
University of Michigan researchers may have found that the solution to prevent people from dying from a fentanyl overdose may be found within fentanyl's own chemistry.
Department News
Congratulations to Dr. John Traynor
Dr. John Traynor is one of 17 University of Michigan faculty members named 2022 AAAS Fellows.
