Max E Joffe, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Areas of Expertise

  • Substance Use Disorders
  • Basic & Translational Neuroscience
  • Anxiety, OCD & Trauma Disorders
Max E Joffe, PhD
Expertise & Interests Selected Publications Education & Credentials Related News

Expertise & Interests

Research Interests

Prefrontal cortex; interneurons; Novel pharmacology; Alcohol and opioid use disorders

Education Interests

Research mentoring; Graduate & medical student education

Selected Publications

  1. Cole RH, Allichon MC, Joffe ME. Mu and Delta opioid receptors modulate inhibition within the prefrontal cortex through dissociable cellular and molecular mechanisms. J Neurosci. 2025 Jul 2;45(27):e1963242025. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1963-24.2025. PMID: 40393805.
  2. Fabian CB, Jordan ND, Cole RH, Carley LG, Thompson SM, Seney ML, Joffe ME. Parvalbumin interneuron mGlu5 receptors govern sex differences in prefrontal cortex physiology and binge drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2024 May 21. doi: 10.1038/s41386-024-01889-0. PMID: 38773314.
  3. Thompson SM, Fabian CB, Ferranti AS, Joffe ME. Acute alcohol and chronic drinking bidirectionally regulate the excitability of prefrontal cortex vasoactive intestinal peptide interneurons. Neuropharmacology. 2023 Nov 1;238:109638. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109638. Epub 2023 Jul 22.
  4. Ferranti AS, Johnson KA, Winder DG, Conn PJ, Joffe ME. Prefrontal cortex parvalbumin interneurons exhibit decreased excitability and potentiated synaptic strength after ethanol reward learning. Alcohol. 2022 Feb 26; 101:17-26. doi: 10.1016.j.alcohol.2022.02.003
  5. Joffe ME, Maksymetz J, Luschinger JR, Dogra S, Ferranti AS, Luessen DJ, Gallinger IM, Xiang Z, Branthwaite H, Melugin PR, Williford KM, Centanni SW, Shields BC, Lindsley CW, Calipari ES, Siciliano CA, Niswender CM, Tadross MR, Winder DG, Conn PJ. Acute restraint stress redirects prefrontal cortex circuit function through mGlu5 receptor plasticity on somatostatin-expressing interneurons. Neuron. 2022 Jan 13:S0896-6273(21)01044-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.027.

Education & Credentials

Education & Training

Education
PhD, Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University
Postdoctoral
Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University

Professional Affiliations

  • Associate Member, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
  • Memberand Board of Directors (2025-2029), Research Society on Alcohol
  • Member, International Narcotics Research Conference
  • Editorial Board, Neuropharmacology

Selected Honors & Awards

  • Neuropsychopharmacology Editors Early Career Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
  • Avenir Award for Chemistry and Pharmacology of Substance Use Disorders (DP1), National Institute on Drug Abuse
  • Hamilton Family Award for Basic Neuroscience Research in Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry
  • NARSAD Young Investigator Award, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

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