Professor Marcus Munafo

Summary

My interests are in the role of molecular genetic influences on addictive behaviour and the use of social drugs (primarily nicotine and alcohol), in particular the behavioural, cognitive and neural mechanisms that mediate these relationships. Candidate genes associated with dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission are of particular interest, as these have been shown to be related to addictive behaviour, and may influence the development of learning pathways implicated in addiction in psychological models of addiction.

Recent and current grants

• Aveyard, P.N. (P.I.), Morcom, A.R., Coleman, T., McRobbie, H., Lindson, N., Munafò, M.R., Parrott, S., Hajek, P., Bathers, S., Lewis, S., McEwen, A. A randomised trial of nicotine patch preloading for smoking cessation. NIHR (2012-2015).
• Munafò, M.R. (P.I.), Bauld, L., Leonards, U., Hammond, D. Effects of plain packaging on neural response to health warnings. Action on Smoking and Health (2011-2013).
• Van den Bree, M. (P.I.), Shelton, K., Heron, J., Munafo, M.R., Hickman, M., Maughan, B. Peer group influences on the relationship between depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse in adolescence. European Research Advisory Board (2011-2013).
• Munafò, M.R. (P.I.), Attwood, A.S., McClernon F.J. Effects of varenicline and cognitive bias modification on neural response to smoking related cues. Pfizer Investigator Initiated Research (2010-2012).
• Attwood, A.S. (P.I.), Munafò, M.R., Williams, T. A placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness of D-cycloserine in reducing cue reactivity during cue-exposure therapy in daily cigarette smokers. Global Research Awards for Nicotine Dependence 2010 (2010-2012).
• Middeldorp, C.M. (P.I.), Boer, F., Boomsma, D.I., Erkut, Z.A., Glaser, B., Hudziak, J.J., Lubke, G.H., Maughan, B., Munafò, M.R., van Eijk, J.A. Genetic influences on stability and change in psychopathology from childhood to young adulthood. Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (2010-2015).
• Schumann, G. (P.I.), Conrod, P., Lourdusamy, A., Munafò, M.R., Struve, M. Developmental pathways into adolescent substance abuse: neurophysiologic, genetic and environmental determinants. Medical Research Council (2010-2015).
• Burgess, S.M. (PI), Munafò, M.R., Brunstrom, J., Crick, R.D., Gregg, P., Howard-Jones, P., Rogers, P., Smith, S., Washbrook, E, Taylor, A. Centre for Understanding Behaviour Change. DCSF (2010-2014).
• Britton, J. (P.I.), McNeill, A., Amos, A., Aveyard, P., Bauld, L., Coleman, T., Hajek, P., Hastings, G., Lewis, S., West, R., Godfrey, C., Munafò, M.R. UKCRC Centre of Public Health Excellence in Tobacco Control (2008-2013).
• Munafò, M.R. (P.I.), Day, I.N.M., Davey Smith, G. Characterising patterns and determinants of smoking initiation in adolescence. Wellcome Trust (2009-2012).
• Lewis, G. (P.I.), Araya, R., Nutt, D.J., Jones, P., Sahakian, B.J., Munafò, M.R., Ramachandi, P., Thapar, P., Fernyhough, C., Stansfeld, S., Hickman, M., Macleod, J., Wiles, N., Joinson, C., Stein, A., Evans, J., Wolke, D., Bentall, R.P., Harold, G.T., Davies, S.J.C., Murray, L., Flint, J., Crawley, E., Davey-Smith, G., O’Connor, T., Cooper, P., Oldehinkel, A.J., Croudace, T.J., Heron, J., Peters, T.J., Maughan, B., Skapinakis, P. Depression at 17: ALSPAC. Wellcome Trust (2008-2012).

Biography

• Professor of Biological Psychology, School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol (2010-present)
• Reader in Biological Psychology, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol (2007-2010)
• Lecturer, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol (2005-2007)
• Visiting Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania (2004-2005)
• Research Fellow, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Oxford (1999-2005)

Video of Professor Marcus Munafo.

Teaching

Experimental Psychology B.Sc.

• Individual Differences, Year 2

Consulting

• Transport Research Laboratory
• Servier Ltd
• World Health Organisation

Current PhD students

• Olivia Maynard: "Visual Search and Tobacco Packaging"
• Jennifer Ware: "Molecular Genetics of Nicotine Addiction" (University of Cardiff)
• Michael Anderson: "Translational Model of Depression"
• Kate Button: "Cognitive Processes in Social Anxiety"
• Suzi Gage: "Cannabis Use and Psychosis"

Keywords

• Addiction
• Nicotine
• Alcohol

Expertise

Current research is in the area of the genetic determinants of addictive behaviours, in particular alcohol and nicotine use, and in the role of human personality in explaining the association between genetic variation and addictive behaviours.

Memberships

Organisations

School of Experimental Psychology

Other sites

• Cancer
• Neuroscience

Experimental Psychology staff

• Experimental Psychology academic staff

Research themes

• Brain, Behaviour, and Health

Research groups

• Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group

Links

• Marcus Munafo video

Recent publications

• Adams, S & Munafò, MR 2013, ‘Will peak provoked craving prove superior to cue-reactivity?’. Addiction (Abingdon, England), vol 108., pp. 1027-8
• Munafò, MR & Gage, SH 2013, ‘Improving the reliability and reporting of genetic association studies’. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
• Maynard, OM & Munafò, MR 2013, ‘Methods reporting in human laboratory studies’. Addiction (Abingdon, England), vol 108., pp. 1002-3
• Button, KS, Ioannidis, JPA, Mokrysz, C, Nosek, BA, Flint, J, Robinson, ESJ & Munafò, MR 2013, ‘Power failure: why small sample size undermines the reliability of neuroscience’. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience.
• Green, A, Kaul, A, O'Shea, JK, Sharma, E, Bennett, LJ, Mullings, EL, Munafo, MR, Nutt, DJ, Melichar, JK & Donaldson, LF 2013, ‘Opiate agonists and antagonists modulate taste perception in opiate-maintained, and recently detoxified subjects.’. J Psychopharmacology., pp. 265-75
• Tozzi, F, Teumer, A, Munafò, M, Rawal, R, Kazeem, G, Gerbaulet, M, McArdle, W, Chilcoat, H, Döring, A, Dahmen, N, Mooser, V, Nauck, M, Ring, SM, Rubio, JP, Vollenweider, P, Waeber, G, John, U, Völzke, H, Homuth, G, Freyberger, HJ, Völker, U, Davey-Smith, G, Gieger, C, Preisig, M & Grabe, HJ 2013, ‘A genomewide association study of smoking relapse in four European population-based samples’. Psychiatric Genetics.
• Stuart, SA, Butler, P, Munafò, MR, Nutt, DJ & Robinson, ESJ 2013, ‘A translational rodent assay of affective biases in depression and antidepressant therapy’. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
• Lochbuehler, K, Verhagen, M, Munafò, MR & Engels, RCME 2013, ‘Lack of association of DRD4 exon 3 VNTR genotype with reactivity to dynamic smoking cues in movies’. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
• Wardle, MC, Wit, Hd, Penton-Voak, I, Lewis, G & Munafò, MR 2013, ‘Lack of Association Between COMT and Working Memory in a Population-Based Cohort of Healthy Young Adults’. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
• Papadatou-Pastou, M, Martin, M & Munafò, MR 2013, ‘Measuring hand preference: A comparison among different response formats using a selected sample’. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, vol 18., pp. 68-107

View complete publications list in the University of Bristol publications system

Projects

• Substance Use, Gambling and Addiction Research (SUGAR)