Lab Projects

research

Role of striatal pathways in learning with nicotine stimulus

This research investigates the complexities of nicotine addiction by exploring the neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms in rodent models. Focusing on the associative properties of nicotine, the study aims to dissect the interoceptive cues and reinforcement processes contributing to nicotine use and dependency. By employing chemogenetic techniques, the project seeks to understand the role of specific neural pathways in nicotine-induced learning, potentially leading to more targeted treatments for addiction.

Translating Demand to the Clinic: Stress, Resilience, and Alcohol Motivation in Young Adults

Our laboratory is extending its individual-differences framework into human clinical research, examining how cumulative trauma burden and psychological resilience independently shape the motivational value of alcohol in college-age drinkers.

Individual differences in substance use

Explore our research on individual differences in substance use, focusing on how personal behavioral and biological factors influence addiction and treatment responses. Learn about our efforts to improve and personalize substance use disorder treatments.

Exploring the Link: Stress Vulnerability and Increased Intravenous Heroin Demand in Rats

For the first time, we show that individual biological response to an ecologically relevant stressor in combination with associated behavioral markers can be used to predict subsequent economic demand for heroin.

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