Mohamed Kabbaj Ph.D.
Professor
Job Description
Dr. Kabbaj is a Professor conducting research in the area of stress, drug addiction, and social behaviors. Dr. Kabbaj teaches a course in Neuropharmacology within the neuroscience program, facilitates small-group sessions with medical students and teaches in various courses within the BMS Ph.D. program.
Biosketch
Dr. Kabbaj earned his Ph.D. at Bordeaux II University (France), and then completed five years of postdoctoral study at the Mental Health Research Institute at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). Dr. Kabbaj joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Medicine in August 2002.
Education
B.Sc., Animal Physiology, Neuroscience option, University of Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco, 1991
M.S., Neurosciences and Pharmacology, University of Bordeaux II, France, Laboratoire de Psychobiologie des Comportements Adaptatifs, 1992
Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Neurosciences and Pharmacology, Unversity of Bordeaux II, France, Laboratoire de Psychobiologie des Comportements Adaptatifs, 1997
Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Mental Health Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1997-2001
Research Investigator, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Mental Health Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Mich., 2001-2002
Service
Dr. Kabbaj is the chair of the BMS P&T committee and is a member of both the College and University P&T committees.
Honors/Awards
Outstanding Senior Faculty Investigator Award, College of Medicine FSU (2017)
Outstanding Senior Faculty Investigator Award, College of Medicine FSU (2014)
Developing Scholar Award, Florida State University (2011).
Outstanding Senior Faculty Researcher Award, College of Medicine FSU (2009).
Travel Award, International Narcotics Research Conference (2003).
Travel Award, University of Wisconsin (2001).
Travel Award, University of Wisconsin (2000).
Ph.D. obtained with the congratulations of the jury (Honors given only to top 20% of graduates), University of Bordeaux II (1997).
Memberships
American Society for Neuroscience (1996-present)
Mediterranean Neuroscience Society (2019-present)
Courses
Neuropharmacology
Research Focus
Dr. Kabbaj uses animal models (rats, mice, and voles) to examine the neurobiology of sex and individual differences in stress and drug addiction. He is also examining epigenetic mechanisms underlying social behaviors using the unique monogamous specie, the prairie vole.
Publications
Below is a small list from more than a hundred publications:
S. D. Jennings, D. P. Hagarty, J. Logue, M. Crawford, S. K. Saland and M. Kabbaj (2025) Effects of Chronic Social Isolation Stress and Alcohol on the Reinforcing Properties of Ketamine in Male and Female Rats. eNeuro 2025 Vol. 12 Issue 3
D. P. Hagarty, A. Dawoud, A. Brea Guerrero, K. Phillips, C. E. Strong, S. D. Jennings, et al. (2024) Exploring ketamine's reinforcement, cue-induced reinstatement, and nucleus accumbens cFos activation in male and female long evans rats. Neuropharmacology 2024 Vol. 255 Pages 110008.
F. Duclot, L. Wu, C. S. Wilkinson, M. Kabbaj and L. A. Knackstedt (2024) Ceftriaxone alters the gut microbiome composition and reduces alcohol intake in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.Alcohol 2024 Vol. 120 Pages 169-178
Duclot F, Lindsay S, Koutakis P, Wang Z, Kabbaj M (2022) Transcriptomic Regulations Underlying Pair-bond Formation and Maintenance in the Socially Monogamous Male and Female Prairie Vole. Biological Psychiatry, 91(1):141-151.
Duclot F and Kabbaj M (2022) Epigenetics of aggression. 54:283-310
Saland SK, Wilczak K, Voss E, Lam TT, Kabbaj M (2022) Sex- and estrous-cycle dependent dorsal hippocampal phosphoproteomic changes induced by low-dose ketamine. Scientific Reports 12(1):1820
Schoepfer KJ, Xu Y, Wilber AA, Wu W, Kabbaj M (2020) Sex differences and effects of the estrous stage on hippocampal-prefrontal theta communications. Physiological Reports Nov;8(22):e14646.
Strong CE, Wright KN, Kabbaj M (2019) Sex and Individual Differences in Alcohol Intake Are Associated with Differences in Ketamine Self-Administration Behaviors and Nucleus Accumbens Dendritic Spine Density. eNeuro Dec 4;6(6):ENEURO.0221-19.2019.
Wright KN, Dossat AM, Strong CE, Sailer LL, Pavlock SM, Kabbaj M (2018) Optogenetic inhibition of medial prefrontal cortex projections to the nucleus accumbens core and methyl supplementation via L-Methionine attenuates cocaine-primed reinstatement. Integrative Zoology 13(6):795-803.
Saland SK, Kabbaj M (2018) Sex Differences in the Pharmacokinetics of Low-dose Ketamine in Plasma and Brain of Male and Female Rats. JPET 367(3):393-404.
Dossat AM, Sanchez-Gonzalez MA, Koutnik AP, Leitner S, Ruiz EL, Griffin B, Rosenberg JT, Grant SC, Fincham FD, Pinto JR, Kabbaj M (2017) Pathogenesis of depression- and anxiety-like behavior in an animal model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. FASEB J 31(6):2492-2506.
Sarkar A, Kabbaj M (2016) Sex Differences in Effects of Ketamine on Behavior, Spine Density, and Synaptic Proteins in Socially Isolated Rats. Biological Psychiatry 80(6):448-456.
Wright, K.N., Hollis, F., Duclot, F. Dossat, A.M., Strong,C.E., Francis,T.C., Mercer, R., Feng, J., Dietz,D.M., Lobo, M.K., Nestler, E.J., Kabbaj, M. (2015) Methyl Supplementation Attenuates Cocaine-Seeking Behaviors and Cocaine-Induced c-Fos Activation in a DNA Methylation-Dependent Manner. Journal of Neuroscience, 35 (23), 8948-8958.
Duclot, F. & Kabbaj, M. (2015) The estrous cycle surpasses sex differences in regulating the transcriptome in the rat medial prefrontal cortex and reveals an underlying role of early growth response 1. Genome Biology 16: 256.
Carrier, N., Saland, S., Duclot, F., He, H., Mercer, R., & Kabbaj, M. (2015). The anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of testosterone and estrogen in gonadectomized male rats. Biological Psychiatry, 78(4):259-69
Duclot, F., & Kabbaj, M. (2013). Individual Differences in Novelty Seeking Predict Subsequent Vulnerability to Social Defeat through a Differential Epigenetic Regulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression. Journal of Neuroscience, 33, 11048-60.
Carrier, N., & Kabbaj, M. (2013). Sex differences in the antidepressant-like effects of ketamine. Neuropharmacology, 70, 27-34.
Wang, H., Duclot, F., Liu, Y., Wang, Z., & Kabbaj, M. (2013). Histone deacetylase inhibitors facilitate partner preference formation in female prairie voles. Nature Neuroscience, 16(7), 919-924. Selected for F1000.
Carrier, N., & Kabbaj, M. (2012). Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 signaling in the hippocampus dentate gyrus mediates the antidepressant effects of testosterone. Biological Psychiatry, 71 (1), 642-651. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.11.028 doi:10.1016/j.biopsych
William Renthal, Arvind Kumar, Guanghua Xiao, Matthew Wilkinson, Herbert E. Covington, III, Ian Maze, Devanjan Sikder, Alfred J. Robison, Quincey LaPlant, David M. Dietz, Scott J. Russo, Vincent Vialou, Sumana Chakravarty, Thomas J. Kodadek, Ashley Stack, Mohamed Kabbaj and Eric J. Nestler (2009) Genome Wide Promoter Analysis of Histone Modifications induced by Cocaine; Neuron 62: 335-348
Dr. Kabbaj is a Professor conducting research in the area of stress, drug addiction, and social behaviors. Dr. Kabbaj teaches a course in Neuropharmacology within the neuroscience program, facilitates small-group sessions with medical students and teaches in various courses within the BMS Ph.D. program.
Dr. Kabbaj earned his Ph.D. at Bordeaux II University (France), and then completed five years of postdoctoral study at the Mental Health Research Institute at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). Dr. Kabbaj joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Medicine in August 2002.
B.Sc., Animal Physiology, Neuroscience option, University of Mohamed V, Rabat, Morocco, 1991
M.S., Neurosciences and Pharmacology, University of Bordeaux II, France, Laboratoire de Psychobiologie des Comportements Adaptatifs, 1992
Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Neurosciences and Pharmacology, Unversity of Bordeaux II, France, Laboratoire de Psychobiologie des Comportements Adaptatifs, 1997
Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Mental Health Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1997-2001
Research Investigator, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Mental Health Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Mich., 2001-2002
Dr. Kabbaj is the chair of the BMS P&T committee and is a member of both the College and University P&T committees.
Outstanding Senior Faculty Investigator Award, College of Medicine FSU (2017)
Outstanding Senior Faculty Investigator Award, College of Medicine FSU (2014)
Developing Scholar Award, Florida State University (2011).
Outstanding Senior Faculty Researcher Award, College of Medicine FSU (2009).
Travel Award, International Narcotics Research Conference (2003).
Travel Award, University of Wisconsin (2001).
Travel Award, University of Wisconsin (2000).
Ph.D. obtained with the congratulations of the jury (Honors given only to top 20% of graduates), University of Bordeaux II (1997).
American Society for Neuroscience (1996-present)
Mediterranean Neuroscience Society (2019-present)
Neuropharmacology
Dr. Kabbaj uses animal models (rats, mice, and voles) to examine the neurobiology of sex and individual differences in stress and drug addiction. He is also examining epigenetic mechanisms underlying social behaviors using the unique monogamous specie, the prairie vole.
Below is a small list from more than a hundred publications:
S. D. Jennings, D. P. Hagarty, J. Logue, M. Crawford, S. K. Saland and M. Kabbaj (2025) Effects of Chronic Social Isolation Stress and Alcohol on the Reinforcing Properties of Ketamine in Male and Female Rats. eNeuro 2025 Vol. 12 Issue 3
D. P. Hagarty, A. Dawoud, A. Brea Guerrero, K. Phillips, C. E. Strong, S. D. Jennings, et al. (2024) Exploring ketamine's reinforcement, cue-induced reinstatement, and nucleus accumbens cFos activation in male and female long evans rats. Neuropharmacology 2024 Vol. 255 Pages 110008.
F. Duclot, L. Wu, C. S. Wilkinson, M. Kabbaj and L. A. Knackstedt (2024) Ceftriaxone alters the gut microbiome composition and reduces alcohol intake in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.Alcohol 2024 Vol. 120 Pages 169-178
Duclot F, Lindsay S, Koutakis P, Wang Z, Kabbaj M (2022) Transcriptomic Regulations Underlying Pair-bond Formation and Maintenance in the Socially Monogamous Male and Female Prairie Vole. Biological Psychiatry, 91(1):141-151.
Duclot F and Kabbaj M (2022) Epigenetics of aggression. 54:283-310
Saland SK, Wilczak K, Voss E, Lam TT, Kabbaj M (2022) Sex- and estrous-cycle dependent dorsal hippocampal phosphoproteomic changes induced by low-dose ketamine. Scientific Reports 12(1):1820
Schoepfer KJ, Xu Y, Wilber AA, Wu W, Kabbaj M (2020) Sex differences and effects of the estrous stage on hippocampal-prefrontal theta communications. Physiological Reports Nov;8(22):e14646.
Strong CE, Wright KN, Kabbaj M (2019) Sex and Individual Differences in Alcohol Intake Are Associated with Differences in Ketamine Self-Administration Behaviors and Nucleus Accumbens Dendritic Spine Density. eNeuro Dec 4;6(6):ENEURO.0221-19.2019.
Wright KN, Dossat AM, Strong CE, Sailer LL, Pavlock SM, Kabbaj M (2018) Optogenetic inhibition of medial prefrontal cortex projections to the nucleus accumbens core and methyl supplementation via L-Methionine attenuates cocaine-primed reinstatement. Integrative Zoology 13(6):795-803.
Saland SK, Kabbaj M (2018) Sex Differences in the Pharmacokinetics of Low-dose Ketamine in Plasma and Brain of Male and Female Rats. JPET 367(3):393-404.
Dossat AM, Sanchez-Gonzalez MA, Koutnik AP, Leitner S, Ruiz EL, Griffin B, Rosenberg JT, Grant SC, Fincham FD, Pinto JR, Kabbaj M (2017) Pathogenesis of depression- and anxiety-like behavior in an animal model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. FASEB J 31(6):2492-2506.
Sarkar A, Kabbaj M (2016) Sex Differences in Effects of Ketamine on Behavior, Spine Density, and Synaptic Proteins in Socially Isolated Rats. Biological Psychiatry 80(6):448-456.
Wright, K.N., Hollis, F., Duclot, F. Dossat, A.M., Strong,C.E., Francis,T.C., Mercer, R., Feng, J., Dietz,D.M., Lobo, M.K., Nestler, E.J., Kabbaj, M. (2015) Methyl Supplementation Attenuates Cocaine-Seeking Behaviors and Cocaine-Induced c-Fos Activation in a DNA Methylation-Dependent Manner. Journal of Neuroscience, 35 (23), 8948-8958.
Duclot, F. & Kabbaj, M. (2015) The estrous cycle surpasses sex differences in regulating the transcriptome in the rat medial prefrontal cortex and reveals an underlying role of early growth response 1. Genome Biology 16: 256.
Carrier, N., Saland, S., Duclot, F., He, H., Mercer, R., & Kabbaj, M. (2015). The anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of testosterone and estrogen in gonadectomized male rats. Biological Psychiatry, 78(4):259-69
Duclot, F., & Kabbaj, M. (2013). Individual Differences in Novelty Seeking Predict Subsequent Vulnerability to Social Defeat through a Differential Epigenetic Regulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression. Journal of Neuroscience, 33, 11048-60.
Carrier, N., & Kabbaj, M. (2013). Sex differences in the antidepressant-like effects of ketamine. Neuropharmacology, 70, 27-34.
Wang, H., Duclot, F., Liu, Y., Wang, Z., & Kabbaj, M. (2013). Histone deacetylase inhibitors facilitate partner preference formation in female prairie voles. Nature Neuroscience, 16(7), 919-924. Selected for F1000.
Carrier, N., & Kabbaj, M. (2012). Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 signaling in the hippocampus dentate gyrus mediates the antidepressant effects of testosterone. Biological Psychiatry, 71 (1), 642-651. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.11.028 doi:10.1016/j.biopsych
William Renthal, Arvind Kumar, Guanghua Xiao, Matthew Wilkinson, Herbert E. Covington, III, Ian Maze, Devanjan Sikder, Alfred J. Robison, Quincey LaPlant, David M. Dietz, Scott J. Russo, Vincent Vialou, Sumana Chakravarty, Thomas J. Kodadek, Ashley Stack, Mohamed Kabbaj and Eric J. Nestler (2009) Genome Wide Promoter Analysis of Histone Modifications induced by Cocaine; Neuron 62: 335-348