Dopamine Neurons and Motivated Behavior
The primary emphasis of the lab's research is to identify how stress, learning, and drug-dependent behaviors intersect to influence motivated behavior, focusing on the function of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. To address this we utilize a diverse array of experimental techniques in the lab, including fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and fiber photometry, using both in vivo and in vitro preparations. The ultimate goal of this research is to identify and reverse the neural adaptations that underlie the aberrant motivational processes in psychiatric disorders.
Requirements
- none
