Jordan G. McCall, PhD, holds a primary appointment as assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at WUSM and an adjunct appointment as assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences at the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy.
McCall earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Neurosciences at Washington University in St. Louis, where he remained as a postdoctoral research associate studying pain neurophysiology. McCall’s research is notable for uncovering the neural circuitry responsible for the anxiety-reducing effects of beta-blockers and for pioneering new wireless technology to manipulate neural circuitry.
As part of McCall’s appointment with the center, he will work in a multidisciplinary research program aimed at understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the emotional distress associated with stress, chronic pain and addiction. The long-term goal of the laboratory will be to take basic, circuit-level neuroscience research and apply these findings to advance therapeutic options for patients. Through collaborative efforts with materials scientists, chemical and electrical engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists and clinicians, the development of new neural interfacing technologies will be a huge step forward in achieving this goal.
“The completely blank slate of the center and the energy to drive the vision of a multidisciplinary center that tackles pharmacology, neuroscience questions and pain research is exciting and a rare opportunity,” McCall said.