Christine C. Cloak, PhD

1988-1993     B.S.                  Biology, University of California, Irvine

1988-1993     B.A.                  Psychology, University of California, Irvine

1995-2002     Ph.D.                Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles

2002-2004     Fellowship        Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY

Dr. Cloak's research interests concern  how substance use and stress influence child and adolescent brain development.  Her past academic appointments include Assistant Professor (2004-2013) and Associate Professor (2013-2015) in the Department of Medicine at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Prior to that, Dr. Cloak was a Fellow at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY. Dr. Cloak was the recipient of an NIH/NIDA Career Development Award to study the impact of marijuana exposure on brain maturation. She is part of the research team of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The University of Maryland is one of 21 institutions (and one of the 11 hubs) of the ABCD study. 

1. Poland RE, Cloak CC, Lutchmansingh PJ, McCracken JT, Chang L, Ernst T: Brain N-acetyl aspartate concentrations measured by ¹H MRS are reduced in adult male rats subjected to perinatal stress: preliminary observations and hypothetical implications for neurodevelopmental disorders.  Journal of Psychiatry Research, 33:N1:41-51 1999. PMID: 10094239
2. Poland RE, Pechnick RN, Cloak CC, Wan YY, Nuccio I, Lin, KM.  Effect of cigarette smoking on coumarin metabolism in humans.  Nicotine and Tobacco Research 2(4) 351-4, 2001. PMID: 11197315 (provided laboratory and statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
3. Smith LM, Cloak CC, Poland RE, Torday J, Ross MG.  Prenatal nicotine increases testosterone levels in the fetus and female offspring. Nicotine and Tobacco Research 5(3):369-74, 2003. PMID: 12791533 (provided laboratory, animal, and statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
4. Cloak CC, Chang L, Ernst T, Phillips T, Huitron-Resendiz S, Sanchez-Alavez M, Hampton V, Henriksen S. Methamphetamine and AIDS: ex vivo ¹HMRS in a Feline Model. Journal of NeuroImmunology 147:16–20, 2004. PMID: 14741420
5. Cloak C, Chang L, Ernst T. Increased frontal white matter diffusion is associated with glial metabolites and psychomotor slowing in HIV. J Neuroimmunol;157(1-2):147-52, 2004. PMID: 15579292
6. Chang L, Cloak CC, Patterson K, Grob C, Miller EN, Ernst T. Enlarged Striatum in Abstinent Methamphetamine Abusers: a Possible Compensatory Response. Biological Psychiatry; 57(9):967-74, 2005. PMID: 15860336 (statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
7. Chang SL, Cloak CC, Malellari L, Chang L, The Effects of Repeated Endotoxin Exposure on Rat Metabolites as Measured by ex vivo 1HMRS. Journal of Neuroimmunology;166(1-2):39-46, 2005. PMID: 15996758 (ran assays, statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
8. Chang L, Cloak C, Yakupov R, Ernst T. Combined and independent effects of chronic marijuana use and HIV on brain metabolites. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol;1(1):65-76, 2006. PMID: 18040792 (coordinated some participants, conducted some testing, statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
9. Chang L, Yakupov R, Cloak C, Ernst T, Marijuana use is associated with a reorganized visual attention network and cerebellar hypoactivation. Brain May;129(Pt 5):1096-112, 2006. PMID: 16585053 (coordinated some participants, conducted some testing, statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
10. Chang L, Wong V, Nakama H, Watters M, Ramones D, Miller EN, Cloak C, Ernst T. Greater than age-related changes in brain diffusion of HIV patients after 1 year. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol; 3(4):265-74, 2008. PMID: 18709469 (coordinated some participants, conducted some testing, trained other coordinators, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
11. Nakama H, Chang L, Cloak C, Jiang C, Alicata D, Haning W, Association between psychiatric symptoms and craving in methamphetamine users. American Journal on Addictions 17(5):441-6, 2008. PMID: 18770088 (coordinated some participants, conducted some testing, trained others, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
12. Cloak C, Ernst T, Fujii L, Hedemark B, Chang L. Lower Diffusion in White Matter of Children with Prenatal Methamphetamine Exposure.  Neurology; 72(24):2068-75, 2009. PMID: 19369643
13. Alicata D, Chang L, Cloak C, Abe K, Ernst T, Higher diffusion in striatum and lower fractional anisotropy in white matter of methamphetamine users. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging. 174(1):1-8, 2009. PMID: 19782540 (coordinated some participants, conducted some testing, trained others, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
14. Chang L, Cloak C, Jiang C, Farnham S, Tokeshi B, Buchthal S, Hedemark B, Smith L, and ErnstT, Altered neuro-metabolites and motor integration in children exposed to methamphetamine in utero. Neuroimage; 48(2):391-7, 2009. PMID: 19576287 (coordinated some participants, conducted some testing, trained others, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
15. King G, Alicata D, Cloak C, Chang L. Psychiatric Symptoms and HPA axis function in Adolescent Methamphetamine Users J Neuroimmune Pharmacol; 5(4):582-91, 2010. PMID: 20358305 (coordinated participants, conducted testing, trained others, statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
16. King G, Alicata D, Cloak C, Chang L. Neuropsychological Deficits in Adolescent Methamphetamine Abusers. Psychopharmacology; 212(2):243-9, 2010. PMID: 20640405 (coordinated participants, conducted testing, trained others, statistical support, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
17. Cloak C, Chang L, O'Neil S, Ernst T, Anderson D, Donahoe R. Neurometabolite Abnormalities in Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Macaques With Chronic Morphine Administration J Neuroimmune Pharmacol; 6(3):371-80, 2011. PMID: 20938808
18. Cloak C, Chang L, Alicata D, Andrews-Shigaki B, Ernst T. Age and sex effects levels of choline compounds in the anterior cingulate cortex of adolescent methamphetamine users Drug & Alcohol Dependence. 119(3):207-15, 2011. PMID: 21775074
19. Chang L, Cloak C, Jiang C, Hoo A, Buchthal S, Hernandez A, Ernst T.  Lower Glial Metabolite Levels in Brains of Young Children with Prenatal Nicotine Exposure. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 7(1):243-52, 2012. PMID: 21912896 (coordinated some participants, conducted some testing, trained others, and contributed to manuscript preparation)
20. Cloak CC,Alicata D, Ernst TM, Chang L. Psychiatric Symptoms, Salivary Cortisol and Cytokine Levels in Young Marijuana Users. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. Jun;10(2):380-90, 2015. PMID: 25875137
21. Chang L, Oishi K, Skranes J, Buchthal S, Cunningham E, Yamakawa R, Hayma S,Jiang C, Alicata D, Hernandez A, Cloak C, Wright T, and Ernst T. Sex-Specific Alterations of White Matter Developmental Trajectories in Infants with Prenatal Methamphetamine and Tobacco-Exposure. JAMA Psychiatry (ePub 2016 Nov 9). PMID: 27829078