Addiction Neuroscience Laboratory (Olive)

We are interested in examining a number of questions pertaining to how abused drugs affect the brain on a neurobiological level. Specifically, what long-lasting changes do abused drugs produce in the brain that ultimately result in dependence and addiction? Can these changes be minimized or reversed? Under what circumstances, and in what brain regions, do drugs produce toxic effects on neurons and other cell types? Given the poor outcomes of existing treatments for addictive disorders, our ultimate goal is to identify novel biological targets for innovative therapies that can be integrated into other treatment approaches to facilitate healing of the addicted brain.

Current research projects in the laboratory utilize organismal models to examine: 

• The mechanisms underlying the ability of alcohol to activate brain endorphin systems
• The neuroinflammatory effect of methamphetamine and its effects on brain function, cognition, and addiction susceptibility
• The ability of abused drugs to induce lasting morphological (structural) changes in neurons
• Optogenetic and chemogenetic control of neural circuits that underlie addictive behaviors