Behavioral genetics of addiction model traits.
- 7/18/25: Sasha Gorelik Joins our Lab Family!Welcome Sasha Gorelik! We look forward to having you in the lab!…
- 7/25/2025: Lab Members Enjoy Cookies at End-of-Summer Party!Our team gathered to wrap up the summer with sweet treats, laughter,…
What We Do
Addiction has a strong genetic component – it runs in families. Our lab investigates why some people are more vulnerable to addiction than others by studying genes and brain mechanisms in mouse models.
We combine genetics, behavior, and neuroscience to identify the biological factors that influence addiction risk. Our ultimate goal is to translate these discoveries into better treatments and prevention strategies for substance use disorders.
Current Projects
NOWS
Evaluating kappa opioid receptor antagonists as potential agents for alleviating hyperirritability associated with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS).
Zhx2
Investigating how the transcription factor gene Zhx2 regulates oxycodone metabolism to oxymorphone and influences addiction-like behaviors, with potential implications for personalized opioid addiction treatment.
Rat Genetics
Using reduced complexity crosses between closely related rat substrains to identify genetic variants underlying cocaine addiction vulnerability and accelerate gene discovery for substance use disorders.