Congratulations and best wishes to the 2019 NIDA IRP Postbaccalaureate graduates! Of the 29 graduates (largest NIDA class ever), 12 are heading to PhD programs, 1 to a PharmD program, 6 will be going to medical school, 3 to MD/PhD programs, 3 to Master’s programs, 1 to Physician Assistant school, 1 plans to work in… [Read More]
Neuron-Specific Genome Modification in the Adult Rat Brain Using CRISPR-Cas9 Transgenic Rats.
Hot Off the Press – May 10, 2019. Cell-specific CRISPR/Cas9 in the adult rat brain. Microscopic images of the midbrain of a transgenic rat that selectively expresses Cas9 in dopamine neurons. On the left side, control gRNAs were delivered to cells in the midbrain using a virus (green). On the right side, gRNAs to a… [Read More]
Compulsive drug use is associated with imbalance of orbitofrontal- and prelimbic-striatal circuits in punishment-resistant individuals
Hot Off the Press – May 6, 2019. We report that in a methamphetamine self-administration experiment, all rats show changes in the balance between “go” and “stop” brain circuits, however after foot shock punishment, behavior in the addictive subgroup is strongly correlated with the change in the balance of “go” and “stop” circuits, while the… [Read More]
Expectancy-Related Changes in Dopaminergic Error Signals Are Impaired by Cocaine Self-Administration.
Featured Paper of the Month – May 2019. Addiction is a disorder of behavioral control and learning. While this may reflect pre-existing propensities, drug use also clearly contributes by causing changes in outcome processing in prefrontal and striatal regions. This altered processing is associated with behavioral deficits, including changes in learning. These areas provide critical input to midbrain dopamine… [Read More]
Marco Venniro wins NIH Matilda White Riley Behavioral and Social Sciences Award for Early Stage Investigators
Marco Venniro has been chosen the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) as a winner in its Early Stage Investigator paper competition. Marco is a postdoctoral fellow at the NIDA IRP and he was honored for his paper Volitional social interaction prevents drug addiction in rat models, published in Nature Neuroscience. Marco… [Read More]
Oxytocin blocks enhanced motivation for alcohol in alcohol dependence and blocks alcohol effects on GABAergic transmission in the central amygdala.
Hot Off the Press – April 22, 2019. The neuropeptide oxytocin blocks enhanced drinking in alcohol-dependent rats, according to a study published April 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology led by Drs. Tunstall, Koob and Vendruscolo of the National Institutes of Health, and Drs. Kirson and Roberto of The Scripps Research Institute. Targeting the… [Read More]
Ultrapotent chemogenetics for research and potential clinical applications.
Hot Off the Press – April 12, 2019. NIDA-funded scientists have just published findings in the journal Science showing the development of a new, groundbreaking chemogenetics technology for modulating brain function in a remote, precise and ultra-sensitive manner in living subjects. These findings describe new chemogenetic ion channels for neuron activation and silencing that are controlled by… [Read More]
Heroin addiction engages negative emotional learning brain circuits in rats
Hot Off the Press – April 8, 2019. The United States is amid an unprecedented opioid epidemic. From 2002 through 2016, the number of heroin users increased by 135% and the number of deaths attributable to heroin increased by 533%. Therefore, there is an urgent need for research into the neurobiology of opioid use disorder… [Read More]
Baltimore Science Fair Success!
The IRP’s Diversity and Outreach Committee (DOC) represented the NIDA IRP again at the Baltimore Science Fair held at Towson University over the weekend of March 23rd and 24th. Over 100 middle school and high school students from Baltimore City, Baltimore, Carrol, Cecil, Harford, and Howard Counties participated, spending many hours on Saturday describing their… [Read More]
2019 NIDA IRP Women Scientist Advisors Awards
The NIDA IRP Women Scientist Advisors awards ceremony is held annually to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding women scientists. The 2019 awardees are: Robin Keeley, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellows Ida Fredrikkson, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow Emily Simons Wires, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow Congratulations to this year’s winners! Click here to learn more about the Woman Scientist Advisors… [Read More]
