Biography
Dr. Ray received a B.S. degree in Mathematics (1992) and an M.Ed. degree in Mathematics Education (1993) from the University of Rochester. She earned a Pharm.D. degree (2021) and a Ph.D. in Behavioral Pharmacology degree from Mercer University College of Pharmacy. Following her Pharm.D., Ph.D. degrees, she completed a 2-year post-doctoral NIDA Addiction Research Training Program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Personal Statement
As a survivor of parents who misused psychoactive substances and experienced periods of being in and out of correctional facilities, I have first-hand experience with the insidious nature of substance use disorders (SUD) and the criminal justice system, and how both directly impact the lives of individuals and families. Because of my childhood experiences, I am committed to clinical research related to substance use disorders (SUD) and to implementing and evaluating behavioral and pharmacological treatments for SUD in marginalized populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities and justice-involved individuals.
Areas of Specialty
Opioid Use Disorder
Criminal Justice
Harm Reduction
Education
Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Achievements & Awards
National Institute on Drug Abuse Directors Travel Award
The College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Denver, CO
Excellence in Clinical Work by a Postdoctoral Researcher
Award for the 2022 Early Career Research Presentation
Competition, The College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Minneapolis, MN
Post-Doctoral Fellow, National Institute on Drug Abuse Translational Training in Addiction Grant, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR
Languages
- 236(3):1107-1117<br><br>Ray A
- Ehlen JC
- Murnane KS. M100907 and BD 1047 attenuate the acute toxic effects of methamphetamine. Neurotoxicology. 2019 Sep
- English
Research and Scholarship
Pro G, Horton H, Tody B, Gu M, Washington T, Williams A, Gorvine MM, Johnson O, Lovelady N, Jackson T, Ray A, Montgomery BEE, Zaller N. 2023. National and state-level trends in the availability of mental health treatment services tailored to individuals ordered to treatment by a court: United States, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. In press.
Chitre NM, Wood BJ, Ray A, Moniri NH, Murnane KS. Docosahexaenoic acid protects motor function and increases dopamine synthesis in a rat model of Parkinson's disease via mechanisms associated with increased protein kinase activity in the striatum. Neuropharmacology. 2020 May 1,167:107976
Jiang Y, Ray A, Junaid MSA, Bhattaccharjee SA, Kelley K, Banga AK, Blough BE,
Murnane KS. The pharmacokinetics of 3-fluoroamphetamine following delivery using clinically relevant routes of administration. Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2020 Feb, 10(1):271-281.
Ray A, Chitre NM, Daphney CM, Blough BE, Canal CE, Murnane KS. Effects of the second-generation bath salt" cathinone alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (α-PPP) on behavior and monoamine neurochemistry in male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 Mar