There are two main themes of research in the lab: 1) transcriptional mechanisms mediating effects on drug- and mood-related behaviors, and 2) study of drug-induced molecular changes in specific neurocircuitry to identify and test novel therapies for substance use disorders. The post-doctoral fellow will be exposed to a wide range of behavioral and molecular assays. The lab is currently using several complementary approaches in mice to carry out the above research goals: a) clinically relevant drug self-administration models (operant drug self-administration and binge-drinking paradigms) b) viral-mediated gene transfer to temporally and spatially control gene expression and/or neuronal activity c) behavioral battery of drug- and mood-related assays and d) RNA and ChIP Seq, qPCR, and Western blotting.
|