Research InterestsResearch in my lab is aimed at understanding the physiological function of the endogenous cannabinoid system with a particular emphasis on normal motivated behaviors as well as its potential therapeutic role in pathological states such as addiction.
Endogenous cannabinoids such as arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide from the sanskrit word "ananda" meaning bliss) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and their binding to central cannabinoid receptors (CB1) in the brain and spinal cord make up this recently described signaling system. These molecules have been involved in a wide spectrum of physiological states ranging from reinforcement processing to pain perception and executive function.
Our research employs state-of-the-art electrophysiological (ensemble recordings) and electrochemical (fast-scan cyclic voltammetry) techniques to extract neurobiological correlates of key aspects of behavior in real-time. We have also implemented the use of a microsensor that can simultaneously record extracellular single-unit activity and neurotransmitter release. These techniques are used in conjunction with pharmacological tools such as systemic administration, microinjection and iontophoresis to examine how endogenous cannabinoids modulate the encoding of motivated behavior.
We are specifically interested in the dopaminergic projection from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens. Dopaminergic neurons burst fire in response to rewards and play a key role in the prediction of the availability of reward. We have shown that exogenous cannabinoids potently modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons, in particular their ability to burst fire and to produce transient increases in dopamine concentration in the nucleus accumbens, suggesting that endogenous cannabinoids are indeed important mediators of reward encoding in behaving animals. Thus, understanding the interactions between endogenous cannabinoid and dopaminergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens during reward-related behavior is likely to yield unprecedented insight on the pathogenesis of disorders of motivation such as addiction. Publications
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