Abstract

The research in my lab is aimed at elucidating the molecular and cellular mechanism of reward-driven learning. Our principal interest is on drug reward and how exposure to addictive substances can change behavior in rodent models of addiction. “Drug-evoked synaptic plasticity” has emerged as a mechanism underlying drug-adaptive behavior. Synapses throughout the mesolimbic system are affected, causing a remodelling of the mesocorticolimbic circuits and eventually change behavior.

Recent work has revealed that circuits of the dorsal striatum drive compulsion in addiction. Moreover the underlying synaptic plasticity can be gated by serotonin, which explains the relatively low addiction liability of cocaine, a drug that increases both dopamine and serotonin. The modulatory role of serotonin also opens novel avenues for treatment, such as psychedelics.