Ajna Hamidovic
Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy - Pharmacy Practice
Contact
Address:
833 S Wood St M/C 866, Chicago, Illinois
Email:
Related Sites:
About Heading link
Overview:
Dr. Ajna Hamidovic is an Assistant Professor at the College of Pharmacy where she directs the Clinical and Experimental Drug Addiction Research (CEDAR) lab. Her research is concerned with developing novel pharmacological agents for smoking cessation. She uses cognitive, hormonal, metabolic, cardiovascular, and subjective measures to evaluate the efficacy of smoking cessation treatments in human volunteers, and to identify specific processes that are modulated by the use of nicotine. In her more recent work, she has studied how sex hormones, their neuroactive precursors and metabolites, and the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulate the risk for developing premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Dr. Hamidovic received her doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her Master of Science in Clinical Investigation from Northwestern University, following which she completed postdoctoral training in Psychopharmacology at the University of Chicago and Behavior Genetics at Northwestern University. She has received funding from the United States government (National Institutes of Health; National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute of Mental Health), as well as foundations/universities (Northwestern Memorial Foundation, University of New Mexico (UNM) Clinical and Translational Science Center, and UNM American Cancer Society Institutional Research).
Teaching and Supervision Heading link
Undergrad Resrch Pharm Pract (PMPR 380), 1/8/2024 – 4/26/2024
Pharmacy Grand Rounds (PMPR 370), 1/8/2024 – 4/26/2024
Pharmacy Grand Rounds (PMPR 370), 1/8/2024 – 4/26/2024
PDAT 7: Neurology, Psych, Pain (PHAR 507), 8/21/2023 – 12/1/2023
PDAT 7: Neurology, Psych, Pain (PHAR 507), 8/21/2023 – 12/1/2023
Pharmacy Grand Rounds (PMPR 370), 1/9/2023 – 4/28/2023
Pharmacy Grand Rounds (PMPR 370), 1/9/2023 – 4/28/2023
Colloquium Lecture Series (PSCI 425), 9/30/2022 – 12/21/2022
PDAT 7: Neurology, Psych, Pain (PHAR 507), 8/22/2022 – 12/4/2022
Selected Grants
Neural Food Cue Reactivity in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), National Institute of Mental Health., 10/31/2022 - Present, Obligated Amount: $439725; No Anticipated Amount Set
Institute for Research on Addiction: Addictions in Context, Advancing Interventions, Office of Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Illinois at Chicago., 9/1/2022 - Present, Obligated Amount: $2000000; No Anticipated Amount Set
Modeling Menstrual Cycle Data to Advance Critical Areas of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) Research, National Institute of Mental Health., 7/1/2022 - Present, Obligated Amount: $3797283; No Anticipated Amount Set
PHASE project, Philanthropic Support., 1/1/2021 - Present, Obligated Amount: $39738.33; No Anticipated Amount Set
Late Luteal Phase Reactivity to Stress (R21 MH119642), National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Mental Health (NIH/NIMH)., 2019 - 2021, Obligated Amount: $439725; Anticipated Amount: $439725
Late Luteal Phase Reactivity to Stress (R21 MH119642), National Institute of Health/National Institute of Mental Health (NIH/NIMH)., 2019 - 2021, Obligated Amount: $439725; Anticipated Amount: $439725
Intranasal Insulin Treatment for Weight Management During Smoking Cessation (R03 DA038276), National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA)., 8/15/2014 - 7/31/2016, Obligated Amount: $149867; Anticipated Amount: $149867
Efficacy of Intranasal Insulin in Relieving Symptoms of Tobacco Abstinence Syndrome (R03 DA036054), National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA)., 4/1/2014 - 3/31/2016, Obligated Amount: $149500; Anticipated Amount: $149500
Efficacy of Intranasal Insulin in Relieving Symptoms of Tobacco Abstinence Syndrome, University of New Mexico Clinical and Translational Science Center Institutional Grant., 10/31/2013 - 9/30/2014, Obligated Amount: $30000; Anticipated Amount: $30000
Selected Publications
Hamidovic, Ajna, Cho, Soojeong, Davis, John. (2024). Positive Association between Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Gene Expression of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA-A) Receptor δ Subunit. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 241, 106525. doi:10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106525.
Hamidovic, Ajna, Davis, John, Soumare, Fatimata. (2024). Blunted Cortisol Response to Acute Psychosocial Stress in Women With Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 27, (3), pyae015. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyae015.
Hamidovic, Ajna, Davis, John, Dang, Nhan, Sun, Jiehuan. (2023). Reduced Periovulatory Estradiol Peak in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Psychoneuroendocrinology, 153, 106155. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106155.
Hamidovic, Ajna. (2022). Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonists (DORAs) as an Adjunct Treatment for Smoking Cessation. CNS Drugs, 36, (5), 411-417. doi:10.1007/s40263-022-00918-0.
Hamidovic, Ajna, Dang, Nhan, Khalil, Dina, Sun, Jiehuan. (2022). Association between Neuroticism and Premenstrual Affective/Psychological Symptomatology. Psychiatry International, 3, (1), 52-64. doi:10.3390/psychiatryint3010005.
Hamidovic, Ajna, Van Hedger, Kathryne, Choi, So Hee, Flowers, Stephanie, Wardle, Margaret, Childs, Emma. (2020). Quantitative meta-analysis of heart rate variability finds reduced parasympathetic cardiac tone in women compared to men during laboratory-based social stress. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 114, 194-200. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.005.
Hamidovic, Ajna, Wang, Yohyoh. (2019). The P300 in alcohol use disorder: A meta-analysis and meta-regression. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 95, 109716. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109716.
Arabyat, Rasha M, Borrego, Matthew, Hamidovic, Ajna, Sleath, Betsy, Raisch, Dennis W. (2019). The impact of a theory-based web-intervention on the intention to use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes among college students: a randomized controlled trial.. Health Education Research, 34, (2), 173-187. doi:10.1093/her/cyy047.
Hamidovic, Ajna, Candelaria, Lionel, Rodriguez, Ihsan, Yamada, Mikiko, Nawarskas, James, Burge, Mark R. (2018). Learning and memory performance following acute intranasal insulin administration in abstinent smokers. Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental, 33, (2), e2649. doi:10.1002/hup.2649.
Professional Leadership
Human Research Committee, 7/27/2020 - 7/1/2022
American College of Clinical Pharmacy Drug Information Practice and Research Network Journal Club, 5/21/2020 - 5/21/2020
Education
Degrees:
Master of Science, Northwestern University, United States, 2007
Doctor of Pharmacy,, University of Wisconsin–Madison, United States, 2002
Postgraduate Training:
Behavior Genetics, Northwestern University, Department of Preventive Medicine, United States, 2011
Psychopharmacology, University of Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, United States, 2009
Licensures and Certifications
Pharmacist, New Mexico State Board of Pharmacy, 2013 - Present
Pharmacist, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, 2004 - Present
Pharmacist, Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing, 2002 - Present
Selected Presentations
Hamidovic, Ajna. (2021 December 06). Waist Circumference and its Association With Premenstrual Food Cravings: The Premenstrual Hormonal and Affective State Evaluation (PHASE) Longitudinal Study. American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Naveed, Aamina, Hamidovic, Ajna. (2021 November 12). E-Cigarette Dependence and Weight-Related Attitudes/Behaviors Associated with Eating Disorders in Adolescent Girls. University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy Research Day.