Biography
Dr. Bryant uses rodent forward genetic crosses combined with multi-omics, gene editing, and AAV targeting to map and validate the genetic and neurobiological basis of addiction model traits (currently opioids and psychostimulants), eating disorders (e.g., binge eating), and pain. He has made novel genetic discoveries in mapping and elucidating the role of the RNA-binding protein hnRNP H in methamphetamine-induced gene regulation and behavior, Cyfip2 and Cyfip1 in binge eating, and Zhx2 as a transcriptional repressor that he proposes regulates opioid metabolism and behavior.
Pertinent to these findings, Dr. Bryant has pioneered near-isogenic substrains for efficient genetic analysis of complex traits. He is expanding his research program to employ “Big Behavior” strategies such as 24-7 recordings and machine learning to discover unique behavioral repertoires underlying a range of neurobehavioral adaptations, starting with visual and audio analysis of opioid withdrawal and unique ultrasonic vocalization spectrotemporal profiles to model the genetic and neurobiological basis of the emotional distress in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
Dr. Bryant is a member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) and is past-President of the International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society (IBANGS). Dr. Bryant serves as a standing member of the NIH BRLE study section through 2025.
Selected Publications
Beierle JA, Yao EJ, Goldstein SI, Lynch WB, Scotellaro JL, Shah AA, Sena KD, Wong AL, Linnertz CL, Averin O, Moody DE, Reilly CA, Peltz G, Emili A, Ferris MT, Bryant CD (2022). Zhx2 is a candidate gene underlying oxymorphone metabolite brain concentration associated with state-dependent oxycodone reward. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Jun 10:JPET-AR-2022-001217. PMID: 35688478 PMC-in process
Bryant CD, Smith DJ, Williams RW, Damaj MI, Redei EE, Chen H, Mulligan MK (2020). Facilitating complex trait analysis via reduced complexity crosses. Trends in Genetics; 36(8): 549-562. PMC7365571
Ruan QT, Yazdani N, Blum BC, Beierle JA, Lin W, Coelho MA, Fultz EK, Healy AF, Shahin JR, Kandola AK, Luttik KP, Zheng K, Smith NJ, Cheung J, Mortazavi F, Apicco DJ, Varman DR, Ramanmoorthy S, Ash PEA, Rosene DL, Emili A, Wolozin B, Szumlinski KK, Bryant CD (2020). A mutation in Hnrnph1 that decreases methamphetamine reinforcement, reward, and dopamine release and increases synaptosomal hnRNP H and mitochondrial proteins. Journal of Neuroscience 40(1): 107-130. PMC6939476
Kirkpatrick SL, Goldberg LR, Yazdani N, Babbs RK, Wu J, Reed ER, Jenkins DF, Bolgioni AF, Landaverde KI, Luttik KP, Mitchell KS, Kumar V, Johnson WE, Mulligan MK, Cottone P, Bryant CD (2017). Cytoplasmic FMR1-interacting protein 2 is a major genetic factor underlying binge eating. Biological Psychiatry, 81(9): 757-769 PMC5386810
Yazdani N, Parker CC, Shen Y, Reed ER, Guido MA, Kole LA, Kirkpatrick SL, Lim JE, Sokoloff G, Cheng R, Johnson WE, Palmer AA, Bryant CD (2015). Hnrnph1 is a quantitative trait gene for methamphetamine sensitivity. PLOS Genetics11(12):e1005713. PMC4675533
Selected Public Service
Standing Member, NIH Study Section (BRLE) (2021-2025)
Editorial Board Member, Genes, Brain and Behavior (2022-present)
Lecturer on grant writing, Mock Study Section Workshop, NIH/NIDA (2022)
Courses Taught
PHSC 6224 Behavioral Pharmacology & Drug Discovery (spring 2024)
PHSC 5360 Anti-Infectives (summer 2024)
