Research Projects
The goal of our laboratory is to uncover how drug use changes the brain leads to dependence. We hope that our findings will help improve treatment options and outcomes in the future.
Neural networks and circuits involved in excessive alcohol drinking
One of the laboratories projects seeks to determine whether alcohol dependence leads to remodeling of functional connections in the brain and to identify a causal role for novel brain regions and pathways that are involved in the motivation for excessive drinking and withdrawal symptoms. This project uses a well-established mouse model of alcohol dependence (two-bottle choice/chronic intermittent ethanol vapor [CIE]), chemogenetics, and cutting-edge whole-brain imaging (iDISCO+) in combination with graph theory analysis of neural network properties. We have previously shown that alcohol dependence alters neuronal networks to restructure the brain and severely reduce brain modularity. Additionally, we identified several brain regions that have been overlooked previously in research related to alcohol abstinence and drinking behavior. These regions include: the tuberal nucleus, parasubthalamic nucleus, cortical amygdala, and intercalated amygdala. The lab plans to examine these brain regions using chemogenetic disruption in order to assess whether these regions are critically important in the motivation for excessive alcohol drinking and withdrawal symptoms.
Understanding brain activity associated with oxycodone withdrawal
Oxycodone use disorder has become a nationwide epidemic. Changes in brain activity that are caused by oxycodone withdrawal are not well understood. We seek to use whole brain/network analysis approaches to examine the consequences of oxycodone use and dependence on brain activation. We seek to identify brain regions and circuits that may be involved in oxycodone use disorder that may be similar to or different from other substance use disorders. We will compare the neural network of oxycodone withdrawal across drug use methods (e.g. forced intake and voluntary self-administration). Further, we will compare the network formed by oxycodone withdrawal to other opioids to look for similarities and differences in brain structure and function.
Determining the neural mechanisms of polysubstance use disorder
In humans, polysubstance abuse is common, especially the idea of self-medicating with one drug to relieve the negative affective symptoms of another. However, few animal models are available to explore this issue. The goal of this project is to design and implement a behavioral model of self-medication with one abused substance to alleviate the effects of another and further characterize the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie this complex phenomenon.
Understanding the impact of alcohol drinking on neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease that progress as aging occurs are extremely detrimental to quality of life. Based on the current literature, it is unclear what role alcohol might play in Alzheimer’s disease. We seek to characterize how alcohol drinking influences the rate of progression of Alzheimer’s behavioral and neuropathology and how neural network structure and function alterations caused by Alzheimer’s disease may be exacerbated by alcohol drinking.
