Our department features several investigators with primary research interests in preclinical models of neurological disease and psychiatric disorders. These faculty have complementary expertise in neurobiology, neuroendocrinology, neuroimmunology, neuropharmacology, neurophysiology, metabolism, and behavior. Their research groups use integrative, cutting-edge experimental approaches, including in vivo and ex vivo brain electrophysiology, fiber photometry, chemogenetics, flow cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), advanced transcriptomic and proteomic assays, confocal, electron, x-ray, and other advanced microscopy techniques coupled with sophisticated image analyses, as well as complex behavioral and cognitive assessments. To study specific molecular and cellular mechanisms, many labs use transgenic animal models, adeno-associated viral tools, and pharmacological manipulations. Published work by these investigators has provided novel insights into the neurobiology of stress and addiction, effects of diet and cancer on neurodevelopment, roles for microglia and astrocytes in regulating synaptic function, mechanisms of neuronal repair and recovery, and potential pharmacological targets for therapeutic interventions. Beyond research accomplishments, these faculty are dedicated to educating and training the next generation of scientists by teaching graduate, medical, and undergraduate courses and serving as mentors for dissertation research or capstone experiences in research.
We explore structural, functional and molecular biological principles underlying stress integration, with an emphasis on delineating mechanisms linking stress with mental illness and cognitive disorders.
The focus of the Norman laboratory is translational research to develop medications for the treatment of cocaine abuse.
Our laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms involved in the neuroendocrine control of energy balance.
The Reyes laboratory examines the effects of early-life adversity on behavior and cognition in mice, with a focus neural-immune interactions.
The Sah laboratory seeks to understand mechanisms that promote vulnerability to psychiatric disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder and panic disorder
Research in our laboratory is focused on understanding the neural computations underlying decision-making and how they malfunction during addiction.
Our research goal is to identify the neural and hormonal substrates that are responsible for the interactions among diet, obesity, and stress.
Our research group studies how neuroimmune systems shape synaptic function and behavior in pathological and physiological conditions.
