Alcohol Use Disorder
Identifying druggable mechanisms that sustain symptoms of alcohol use disorder
Alcohol use disorder produces persistent changes in both pheripheral and central nervous system signaling that can promote continued drinking, withdrawal, pain, and negative affect. We investigate the molecular mechanisms linking chronic alcohol exposure to these behavioral outcomes, with particular interest in signaling pathways that may be targeted using new or repurposed therapeutics.
Our studies combine models of voluntary alcohol consumption with sensory, affective, and cognitive testing .Current projects examine how bioactive lipids and neuropeptides signaling through their endogenous receptors to contribute to alcohol associated pain and other factors that may increased vulnerability to continued alcohol use or relapse.