Research Projects

Mechanisms of dopamine signaling and drug action

Dopamine is critical for a wide range of behavioral processes including cognition and motivation, and is also a primary target of many abused drugs. The magnitude, timing, and duration of dopamine signaling is sculpted by a diverse array of molecular mechanisms within dopamine terminals as well as the surrounding local microenvironment. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry to directly measure dopamine release combined with optical and pharmacological tools to perturb this system, we explore the basic mechanisms that govern dopamine signaling kinetics. We then determine how drugs of abuse interact with this system to alter neurotransmission and produce behavioral effects.

Circuit-based activity signatures of maladaptive decision-making

A major focus of the lab is to understand the neural mechanisms of individual differences in decision making — that is, why do behavioral responses vary even when given the same experience. For example, although a large portion of the population will be exposed to alcohol, only some will go on to develop an alcohol use disorder. We develop behavioral procedures in rodents to model these phenomena, allowing us to determine the pre-existing differences that may contribute to individual differences as well as how they change with experience. By combining these models with various recording and manipulation techniques (described on the techniques page) we dissect the circuitry of maladaptive decision making.

Pharmacotherapeutic approaches for treating substance use disorders

An overarching drive behind the lab’s scientific inquiry is the identification of treatment strategies for substance use disorders. Every receptor or circuit explored in the projects described above provides an opportunity to search for molecular markers that may allow selective and non-invasive modulation of activity via pharmacological interventions. We examine the effects of interventions using an array of behavioral procedures in rodents, both established approaches and new behavioral models that are developed in the lab to model specific behavioral aspects of substance use disorders and other maladaptive decision-making processes.