CELLULAR NEUROBIOLOGY RESEARCH BRANCH

Branch Sections

Behavioral Neurophysiology Neuroscience

Synaptic Plasticity Section

Development and Plasticity

Electrophysiology Research

Neuronal Networks

Branch Overview

Branch Chief: Geoffrey Schoenbaum, M.D., Ph.D.

The Cellular Neurobiology Branch studies central nervous system (CNS) function at the cellular level, including physiological properties of cells, biochemical mechanisms and pathways, effects of neurotrophic factors, neuroanatomical methods, electrophysiology, animal models of drug effects and neurodegeneration, and drug effects on human cells.

Behavioral Neurophysiology Neuroscience Section

Section Chief: Geoffrey Schoenbaum, M.D., Ph.D.

• The Schoenbaum Lab uses established and boutique behavioral approaches combined with techniques ranging from single-unit recording to fast scan cyclic voltametry to neurotoxic lesions to optogenetics.
  
• Experiments are designed to test hypotheses regarding the neural instantiation of empirically-derived mechanisms known to govern associative learning and decision making, in both normal and drug-experienced animals.
  
• Our hypotheses are lifted from the rich traditions of animal learning theory, computational neuroscience, and economics.
  

Synaptic Plasticity Section

Section Chief: Antonello Bonci, M.D.

• Investigate drug-induced neuroadaptations in excitatory transmission within key reward circuits.
  
• Investigate cellular mechanisms underlying drug-induced changes in neuronal intrinsic properties in key reward circuits.
  
• Using optogenetic technology to identify the role of specific circuits in reward-learning behaviors.
  

Neurons - click for larger version

More Neurons - click for larger version

Development and Plasticity Section

Section Chief: William J. Freed, Ph.D.

• Immortalization of cells derived from rodent embryonic tissue and from human embryonic stem cells: Development of immortalization strategies and creation of immortalized cell lines
• Characterization and determination of mechanisms involved in dopaminergic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells
• Studies of the cellular and molecular mechanisms which are responsible for impairment of neocortical development by cocaine
• Studies of drug abuse using human postmortem tissue

Electrophysiology Research Section

Section Chief: Carl R. Lupica, Ph.D.

Mechanisms of action of abused drugs on synaptic neuronal circuitry:

• Cannabinoid effects in hippocampus, ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens
• Effects of cannabinoids and cocaine on synaptic plasticity in brain reward circuits

Physiological characterization of Parkinson’s disease in transgenic models:

• Respiratory chain dysfunction in dopamine neuron mitochondria
• Dopamine neuron degeneration and early physiological events

Laboratory approaches:

• Brain slices
• Patch clamp electrophysiology
• Confocal microscopy
• Ultraviolet laser photolysis of caged molecules
• Electrochemistry of dopamine in brain slices
• Transgenic models

Neuronal Networks Section - click for larger version

Neuronal Networks Section

Section Chief: Marisela Morales, Ph.D.

Investigation of molecules, cells and neuronal pathways central to the neurobiology of addiction. Application of anatomical, molecular, cell biological and electrophysiological approaches to investigate:

• Interactions between the stress and reward systems
• Cellular composition and neuronal connectivity of the ventral tegmental area