BCAR-Sponsored Research

Cross-generational Epigenetic Effects of Pre-Conception Alcohol Use on Gene Expression Associated with Cancer Susceptibility
Principal Investigator(s): Shirley Y. Hill, PhD and Gregg Homanics, PhD
Co-Investigator(s): Sean P. Farris, PhD

Animal Work

Publications

1. Rice RC, Baratta AM, Gil DV, Farris SP, Hill SY, Homanics GE. Intergenerational effects of chronic ethanol exposure on the noncoding transcriptome: Intersecting human and mouse data. Alc Clin Exp. Res. 147(S1), 123. 2023.
2. RC Rice, RR Rathod, DV Gil, RR Frawley, SY Hill, GE Homanics SP Farris. Maternal, Paternal, and Biparental Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure Impact Offspring Blood and Brain Transcriptome in Male and Female C57BL/6J Mice. In Progress. Submission December, 2025.  
3. Rice RC, Gil DV, Baratta AM, Frawley RR, Hill SY, Farris SP, Homanics GE. Interand transgenerational heritability of chronic preconception stress or alcohol exposure: Translational outcomes in brain and behavior. Neurobiology of Stress, 2023 Dec 25,100603.  

Presentations

1. Rice RC, Homanics GE, Hill SY, Farris SF. Intergenerational effects of chronic ethanol exposure on the noncoding transcriptome. Presented at: Translational Neuroscience of Alcohol:ntegration of Basic and Clinical Research, Gordon Conference; February 11–16, 2024.
2. RC Rice, AM Baratta, DV Gil, RR Frawley, SP Farris, GE Homanics. The Blood & Brain Transcriptome of Cross-Generational Chronic Preconception Ethanol Exposure: Translational Outcomes. ISBRA & APSAAR World Congress on Alcohol and Addictions, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 2025.

Human Work

Publications

1. Hill SY, Homanics GE, Farris SP, Baldoni P. Cross-generational Transcriptomic Effects of Alcohol Use Disorder in Offspring. Submitted and In Revision for publication.
2. Hill SY, Locke-Wellman J, Steinhauer SR, Farris SF, Homananics GE. Epigenetic factors associated with P300, brain morphology and familial risk for developing alcohol use disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res.48 (Suppl 1),11, 2024..

Presentations 

1. Hill SY. Cross-generational effects with implications for health. A community Epigenetics Perspective: Can Health Outcomes be shared through gene expression? University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Office of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, April 27, 2023.
2. Hill SY, Locke-Wellman J, Steinhauer SR, Farris SF, Homanics GE. Transcriptomic factors associated with P300, brain morphology and familial risk for developing alcohol use disorder. Research Society on Alcohol, Invited Symposium, Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder using Brain Electrophysiology and Multimodal Methods. Kamarjan C, and Pandey AK, Organizers, Porjesz B, Chair. June 2024.

NIH Grant Application
Cross-generational effects of alcohol: Clinical and Pre-Clinical Assessment Hill and Homanics, Co-PIs. Submitted July 5, 2025.

Identification of Novel Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder with Comorbid Chronic Pain
Principal Investigator(s): Sean P. Farris, PhD and Bradley K. Taylor, PhD
Co-Investigator(s): Mary M. Torregrossa, PhD; David A. Lewis, MD; Jill R. Glausier, PhD

Publications:

1. Brandner, A. J., Baratta, A. M., Rathod, R. S., Ferguson, C., Taylor, B. K., & Farris, S. P. (2023). Mechanical and Heat Hyperalgesia upon Withdrawal From Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Depends on Sex, Exposure Duration, and Blood Alcohol Concentration in Mice. The journal of pain, 24(7), 1262–1274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2023.02.024.
2. Goldstein N, Maes A, Allen HN, Nelson TS, Kruger KA, Kindel M, Yeung ATM, Smith NK, Carty JRE, Boccia L, Blank N, Lo E, Villari RE, Cho E, Marble EL, Awh M, Dumiaty Y, Chee MJ, Khanna R, Thaiss CA, Taylor BK, Kennedy A, Betley JN. A parabrachial hub for need-state control of enduring pain. Nature. Published online October 8, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09602-x. PMID: 41062698. 

Pharmacokinetic profiling of Δ9-THC metabolism and association with levels of cognitive impairment and modulation by stress
Principal Investigator(s): Mary M. Torregrossa, PhD; Aaron Devanathan, PharmD, PhD, AAHIVP; Sarah Pedersen, PhD

1. Myers TM, Neverette NC, Devanathan AS, Torregrossa MM. Individual differences in the pharmacokinetic profiling of ∆9-THC may be associated with differential motivational effects of ∆9-THC on cognitive performance. Neuropharmacol, under review. doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.30.679373