Greer Murphy M.D., Ph.D.
Academic Appointments
Key Documents
Contact Information
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Clinical Offices
Inpatient Psychiatry 300 Pasteur Dr G2 Units 300 Pasteur Drive Stanford, CA 94305 Tel Work (650) 723-6935
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 724-4390Not for medical emergencies or patient use
Professional Overview
Clinical Focus
- Psychiatry
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Neuropsychiatry
- Dementia
- Mood Disorders
Honors and Awards
- Best Doctors in America, Best Doctors, Inc. (2013)
- Knight Fellow Favorite Professor, Stanford University (2012)
Professional Education
| Residency: | Stanford University School of Medicine CA (1991) |
| Fellowship: | VA Medical Center CA (1992) |
| Internship: | Stanford University School of Medicine CA (1988) |
| Medical Education: | UC Davis Medical Center CA (1986) |
| M.D.: | University of California, Davis (1986) |
| Board Certification: | Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (1993) |
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
The first focus of our laboratory is on genetic factors that predict response to medications (pharmacogenetics). In collaboration with clinical researchers at Stanford and elsewhere we are examining polymorphisms that affect the metabolism and/or pharmacodynamic effects of medications used in neuropsychiatry. A large bank of DNA samples from patients treated with medications having different pharmacologic actions in the brain has been assembled, along with clinical efficacy and side effect data. Polymorphisms that affect receptors, transport proteins, and metabolic enzymes are being tested as predictors of clinical outcome. We have identified several genetic markers that predict treatment discontinuations due to side effects in patients receiving widely-prescribed antidepressant medications. We are also studying the pharmacogenetics of antidepressant medications as a treatment for smoking cessation, and have recently identified markers that predict response to bupropion and transdermal nicotine.
The second focus of our laboratory is the cerebral inflammatory reaction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our central hypothesis is that activation of microglial cells in AD may have certain beneficial effects on neuronal survival. We have focused on the hematopoietic cytokine M-CSF and its receptor, the M-CSFR. We found that activation of this system in microglia results in neuroprotection, as well as phagocytosis of neurotoxic amyloid beta. In addition, we perform genome-wide expression studies of transgenic mice modeling Alzheimers disease. We are currently examining the effects of a chronic high fat diet on global gene expression and Alzheimers neuropathology in the transgenic mouse brain.
I also teach strength and conditioning to Stanford undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, and postdoctoral trainees. My current offering is Athletics 177, Circuit Aerobic Weight Training. This is a high intensity workout combining strength training, plyometrics, agility, and cardiovascular conditioning. Interested students should contact me in advance as there is normally a wait list.
Publications
- BDNF and CREB1 genetic variants interact to affect antidepressant treatment outcomes in geriatric depression. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2013; (6): 301-13
- Pharmacogenetics of Late-Life Depression In: Late-Life Mood Disorders, H. Lavretsky, M. Sajatovic, C. Reynolds, eds.. 2013; (Oxford)
- Markers in the 15q24 nicotinic receptor subunit gene cluster (CHRNA5-A3-B4) predict severity of nicotine addiction and response to smoking cessation therapy. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2011; (3): 275-84
- ABCB1 (MDR1) polymorphisms and antidepressant response in geriatric depression. Pharmacogenet Genomics. 2010; (8): 467-75
- FKBP5 polymorphisms and antidepressant response in geriatric depression. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet. 2010; (2): 554-60
- Influences of APOE ε4 and expertise on performance of older pilots. Psychol Aging. 2011; (2): 480-7
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