- BA in Chemistry: Concentration in Biochemistry from Washington University in St. Louis (2017)
- PhD in Medical Pharmacology from University of Arizona (2023)
My current research involves examining physiologic sex differences in the endocannabinoid system that may explain sex differences in prevalence for chronic pain states, such as migraine and fibromyalgia. We are also attempting to use the insights we glean from this project to develop a new animal model of migraine based around exogenous manipulation of the endocannabinoid system.
Born in St. Louis and raised in Phoenix, I consider myself a dual-citizen of the southwest and the midwest. I attended WashU in St. Louis for my undergraduate degree and then returned to Arizona for my dual graduate degree. I love living in Tucson with my wife and our two cats (Schmidt and Winona), but I also miss the snowy winters of Missouri. My hobbies include watching baseball, playing with pets, searching for new music, and snowboarding.
At the University of Arizona, I have focused my attention outside of class on neurological science and teaching. I spend time tutoring MS1s and teaching at Pima County Juvenile Detention Center, as I have a passion for teaching. My plan for my career is to go into academic medicine, so that I can continue to teach and do research in a medical setting.
- Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Washington University in St. Louis
- Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society
- John C. Sowden Award for Outstanding Senior in Chemistry
- Graduate Professional Student Council Travel Grant Recipient
- Department of Pharmacology Graduate College Fellowship
Levine AA, Liktor-Busa E, Balasubramanian S, Palomino SM, Burtman AM, Couture SA, Lipinski AA, Langlais PR, Largent-Milnes TM. (2023) Depletion of Endothelial-Derived 2-AG Reduces Blood-Endothelial Barrier Integrity via Alteration of VE-Cadherin and the Phospho-Proteome. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Dec 30;25(1):531. PMID: 38203706
Levine AA*, Liktor-Busa E*, Palomino SM, Singh S, Wahl J, Vanderah TW, Stella N, Largent-Milnes TM. (2023) ABHD6 and MAGL control 2-AG levels in the PAG and CSD-induced Periorbital Allodynia in a Rat Preclinical Model of Headache. Front Pain Res. 4:1171188. PMID: 37287623
Palomino SM, Levine A, Wahl J, Liktor-Busa E , Streicher JM, Largent-Milnes TM. (2022) Inhibition of HSP90 Preserves Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity after Cortical Spreading Depression. Pharmaceutics 14(8): 1665. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14081665
Levine A*, Liktor-Busa E*, Lipinksi AA, Couture S, Balasubramanian S, Aicher SA, Langlais PR, Vanderah TW, Largent-Milnes TM. (2021) Sex differences in the expression of the endocannabinoid system within V1M cortex and PAG of Sprague Dawley rats. Biol Sex Differ 12, 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-021-00402-2
Levine A*, Liktor-Busa E*, Karlage KL, Giancotti L, Salvemini D, Vanderah TW, Largent-Milnes TM. (2021) DAGLα Inhibition as a Non-invasive and Translational Model of Episodic Headache. Front Pharmacol 11:615028. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.615028.
Levine A, Vanderah TW, Largent-Milnes TM. (2020) An underrepresented majority: A systematic review utilizing allodynic criteria to examine the present scarcity of discrete animal models for episodic migraine. Cephalalgia 1:333102420966984. doi: 10.1177/0333102420966984.
Wiese BM, Liktor-Busa E, Levine A, Couture SA, Nikas SP, Ji L, Liu Y, Mackie K, Makriyannis A, Largent-Milnes TM, Vanderah TW (2020) Cannabinoid-2 agonism with AM2301 mitigates morphine-induced respiratory depression, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research X:X, 1–12, doi: 10.1089/can.2020.0076.