Writing is an integral part of the life of a scientist. Yes, knowledge, for knowledge’s sake, satisfies one’s curiosity and is deeply rewarding. That said, one of the main points of scientific research is to tell the world about what you find about nature and its wonders. Bluntly stated, if you do not publish, your research does not exist.
In my twenty years at West Chester University (as of 2025), I’ve had close to 100 research students (yes, I went to count their notebooks to figure this number out). As with everything university-related, our research activities allow the student to explore science, dipping the proverbial toe in the sea of the natural world, specifically pharmacology and neuroscience, with our beloved planarians as hosts.
As in any other profession where you work with people, there’s potential to meet the good, the bad, and the ugly. And I must say that I have been more fortunate than most mentors. I’d like to think that I am a decent judge of character, and in fact, I’ve been right about my first impressions of a prospective research student by exactly 98 %. I treasure that 98 % because my interactions with those 98 students helped (and still help) me grow as a scholar and have made me an incredibly proud mentor. Also, without a doubt, I have learned a lot about human nature from my interactions with every one of these 100 students (yes, the 98 and 100 are the correct figures). In other words, every student who has spent time in my group has taught me something.
The usual mechanics about how students start research with me is that they informally come by the lab and learn some of the techniques we use to do pharmacology and neurobiology using planarians. Some students decide early on that worms are not for them, some others find that they like genetics, for example, as opposed to what we focus on, some stay in the lab for days and leave when they realize that research takes work, and some even find that they do not like research, at all, among other reasons. Thankfully, only once I have needed to ask a student to leave my group. All of that is perfectly ok; my “mission” is to get my students what they want: a college degree and some practical experience to help them in their future.
Ah, but those who stay and follow through are my like-minded people, my Young Jedi Masters! Such students demonstrate they have what it takes to engage nature and ask her about her secrets. They help design, perform, and interpret our results, and eventually, they contribute to the eventual fruits of our labor: The publication of a scientific paper. In a few cases, some of my young colleagues earned the right to be first authors in a publication. How #ProudStudentPapa do you think they make me?
In addition to the intellectual satisfaction of publishing original results, there are some practical considerations of engaging in research. First, if you get your name in a paper or more, that always looks good for when applying to graduate or professional schools, and second, you can get a much more meaningful recommendation letter, as opposed to “She got an “A” in my class, but there were 300 students there“. A research mentor can comment on your responsibility, your work ethic, your ability to solve scientific problems, how you get along with others, and well… I trust you get the idea.
It is my pleasure and privilege that to date, 28 of these young minds have been my coauthors, sometimes in more than one paper. I fully expect this list to grow this year by adding at least 8 names to this list. Of the former students who are already coauthors, I am listing their names below (they are in published papers, so this is a matter of public record). Many of these students have obtained advanced degrees in various disciplines These colleagues are (in no particular order):
Dr. Jyothi Kakuturu, D.O. (First author)
Mr. Sean Deats, M.S. (5 papers)
Ms. Mary O’Brien, B.S. (2 papers)
Dr. Rochelle Dymond, D.V.M.
MS. Maggie Ruble, B.S. (first author)
Dr. Gabriella DeMichele, Ph.D.
Mr. Nick Simpson, B.S.
Mr. Daniel Bach, B.S. (3 papers, 1 as first author)
Ms. Brianna Smith, B.S.
Dr. Matthew Tenaglia, D.M.D (3 papers)
Ms. Wura Adeshina, B.S.
Dr. Erica Montgomery, M.D. (4 papers)
Ms. Emily Snyder, B.S.
Ms. Galia Wilk, B.S. (2 papers)
Mr. Joshua Semon, B.S.
Ms. Clinita Randolph, M.S.
Ms. Debra Baker, M.S. (6 papers, 1 as first author)
Ms. Dharini Kotturu, B.S.
Dr. Peter Boor, M.D.
Ms. Tamara Coudron, B.S. (2 papers)
Ms. Tanvi Kaneria, B.S.
Ms. Lilly Afshari, B.A.
Mr. Apurva Bidja, B.S.
Ms. Amanda Fattore, B.S.
Dr. Ryan Feeney, Pharm.D.
Ms. Danielle Roy, B.S.N.
Dr. Kimberly Urban, Ph.D. (4 papers)
Dr. Amanda Rowlands, M.D. (4 papers, 1 as first author)
The specific papers these former students coauthored with me are shown in the list below
PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH PAPERS FROM THE PAGÁN LAB*
*Denote WCU students.
28. Kakuturu J,* O’Brien M,* Pagán OR (2024) Schild analysis of the interaction between parthenolide and cocaine suggests an allosteric relationship for their effects on planarian motility. Biomolecules 14, 1168.
27. Ruble M,* Simpson N,* Smith B,* Adeshina W,* Snyder E,* Pagán OR (2024) Cotinine influences the effect of high and low nicotine concentrations on planarian motility differently. Neurosci Lett. 841:137955.
26. Pagán OR (2024) The complexities of ligand/receptor interactions: Exploring the role of molecular vibrations and quantum tunnelling. Bioessays. 46(5): e2300195.
25. Sabeva N, Pagán OR, Ferrer-Acosta Y, Eterović VA, Ferchmin PA (2022) In vivo evaluation of the acute systemic toxicity of (1S,2E,4R,6R,7E,11E)-Cembratriene-4,6-diol (4R) in Sprague Dawley rats. Nutraceuticals (Basel) 2(2):60-70.
24. Pagán OR, Baker DL,* Deats S,* O’Brien M,* Dymond R,* DeMichele G* (2020) The cholinergic compound cytisine as a tool to measure planarian brain regeneration. Int J Dev Biol. 64(7-8-9):445-452.
23. Pagán OR (2019) The Brain: A Concept in Flux. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. 374(1774):20180383.
22. Pagán OR (2017) Planaria: an animal model that integrates development, regeneration and pharmacology. Int J Dev Biol. 61(8-9):519-529.
21. Bach DJ,* Tenaglia M,* Baker DL,* Deats S,* Montgomery E,* Pagán OR (2016) Cotinine antagonizes the behavioral effects of nicotine exposure in the planarian Girardia tigrina. Neurosci Lett. 632:204-8.
20. Pagán OR, Montgomery E,* Deats S,* Bach D,* Baker D* (2015) Evidence of Nicotine Induced, Curare-Insensitive, Behavior in Planarians. Neurochem Res.40(10):2087-90.
19. Pagán OR, Deats S,* Baker D,* Montgomery E,* Wilk G,* Tenaglia M,* Semon J*(2013) Planarians require an intact brain to behaviorally react to cocaine, but not to react to nicotine. Neuroscience. 246:265-70.
18. Pagán OR, Baker D,* Deats S,* Montgomery E,* Tenaglia M,* Randolph C,* Kotturu D,* Tallarida C, Bach D,* Wilk G,* Rawls S, Raffa RB (2012) Planarians in pharmacology: parthenolide is a specific behavioral antagonist of cocaine in the planarian Girardia tigrina. Int J Dev Biol. 2012;56(1-3):193-6.
17. Baker D,* Deats S,* Boor P,* Pruitt J, Pagán OR (2011) Minimal structural requirements of alkyl γ lactones capable of antagonizing the cocaine-induced motility decrease in planarians. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 100(1):174-9.
16. Schwarz D, Bloom D, Castro R, Pagán OR, Jimenez-Rivera CA (2011) Parthenolide Blocks Cocaine’s Effect on Spontaneous Firing Activity of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area. Current Neuropharmacology. 9(1):17-20.
15. Sivaprakasam K, Pagán OR, Hess GP (2010) Minimal RNA aptamer sequences that can inhibit or Alleviate noncompetitive inhibition of the muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. J Membr Biol. 233(1-3):1-12.
14. Pagán OR, Coudron T,* Kaneria T* (2009) The Flatworm Planaria as a Toxicology and Behavioral Pharmacology Animal Model in Undergraduate Research Experiences. The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (JUNE), 7(2):A48-A52.
13. Pagán OR, Rowlands AL, Fattore AL, Coudron T, Urban KR, Bidja AH, Eterovic VA (2009) A Cembranoid from tobacco prevents the expression of nicotine-induced withdrawal behavior in planarian worms. European Journal of Pharmacology. 615(1-3):118-24.
12. Ferchmin PA, Pagán OR, Ulrich H, Szeto AC, Hann RM, Eterovic VA (2009) Actions of octocoral and tobacco cembranoids on nicotinic receptors. Toxicon. 54(8):1174-82.
11. Rowlands AL,* Pagán OR (2008) Parthenolide prevents the expression of cocaine-induced Withdrawal behavior in planarians. European Journal of Pharmacology 583(1):170-172.
10. Pagán OR, Rowlands AL,* Azam M, Urban KR,* Bidja AH,* Roy DM,* Feeney RB,* Afshari LK* (2008) Reversal of cocaine-induced planarian behavior by parthenolide and related sesquiterpene lactones. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 89(2):160-170.
9. Pagán OR, Sivaprakasam K, Oswald RE (2007) Molecular properties of local anesthetics as predictors of affinity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Journal of Neuroscience Research 85(13):2943-2949.
8. Pagán OR, Rowlands,* Urban KR* (2006) Toxicity and behavioral effects of dimethylsulfoxide in planaria. Neuroscience Letters 407(3):274-8.
PRE-WCU PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH PAPERS
7. Pagán OR, Eterovic VA, Garcia M, Vergne D, Basilio CM, Rodríguez AD and Hann RM (2001) Cembranoid and long-chain alkanol sites on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and their allosteric interaction. Biochemistry 40(37):11121-30.
6. Ferchmin PA, Lukas RJ, Hann RM, Fryer JD, Eaton JB, Pagán OR, Rodríguez AD, Nicolau Y, Rosado M, Cortés S and Eterovic VA (2001) Tobacco cembranoids block behavioral sensitization to nicotine and inhibit neuronal acetylcholine receptor function. Journal of Neuroscience Research 64:18-25.
5. Ulrich H, Ippolito JE, Pagán OR, Eterovic VA, Hann RM, Shi H, Lis JT, Eldefrawi ME and Hess GP (1998) In vitro selection of RNA molecules that displace cocaine from the membrane-bound nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Proceedings of the National Academy of sciences USA 95: 14051-14056.
4. Hann RM, Pagán OR, Jácome T, Gregory LM, Rodríguez AD and Eterovic VA (1998) Characterization of cembranoid interaction with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 287: 253-260.
3. Hann RM, Pagán OR, Jácome T, Gregory LM and Eterovic (1997) The 9-arginine residue of alpha Conotoxin GI is responsible for its selective high affinity for the alpha/gamma agonist site on the electric organ acetylcholine receptor. Biochemistry 36: 9051-9056.
2. Eaton MJ, Pagán OR, Hann RM and Eterovic VA (1997) Differential effects of dimethylsulfoxide on acetylcholine-induced current from Xenopus oocytes expressing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from mouse muscle and Torpedo electrocytes. Neuroscience Letters 230: 163-166.
1. Hann RM, Pagán OR and Eterovic VA (1994) The alpha-conotoxins GI and MI distinguish between the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist sites while SI does not. Biochemistry 33: 14058-14063.
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