Michael H. Baumann PhD

Dr. Michael H. Baumann, Ph.D., is a Staff Scientist and Facility Head at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Baumann joined NIDA in 1991 as a Staff Fellow in the laboratory of Richard B. Rothman, MD, Ph.D. For more than twenty years, Drs. Baumann and Rothman examined the role of brain dopamine and serotonin systems in mediating the effects of therapeutic and abused stimulant drugs. In 2012, Dr. Baumann joined the laboratory of Amy H. Newman, Ph.D., where he established the Designer Drug Research Unit (DDRU). The main goal of the DDRU is to collect, analyze and disseminate the most up-to-date information about the pharmacology and toxicology of newly-emerging designer drugs of abuse, more formally known as new psychoactive substances (NPS).

Working with partner organizations such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS), and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Dr. Baumann is kept informed about recent trends in the abuse of NPS. Most recently, his research team has characterized the molecular mechanism of action and biological effects for many of the so-called “bath salts” cathinone and their replacement analogs. DDRU scientists are now investigating the pharmacology of various NPS including synthetic cannabinoids, hallucinogens, and opioids.