Our understanding of the brain’s beautiful and complex machinery is largely driven by our ability to measure the chemical and electrical signals that govern its convoluted circuitry. As such, our knowledge is only as good as the tools we have at our disposal. The study of neurochemistry and neuropharmacology research has largely been driven by the use of microdialysis and electrochemical methods to measure targets of interest in the brain. While these techniques are powerful and have contributed immensely to our conceptualization of brain activity, they are not without their limitations.

Julian Gerson

A novel method for measuring Blood Brain Barrier kinetics using
Electrochemical Aptamer-Based biosensors

Kasie Mays

Serotonergic Fibers as Random Walks-A Spatial Analysis

Julian Gerson

A novel method for measuring Blood Brain Barrier kinetics using
Electrochemical Aptamer-Based biosensors

Kasie Mays

Serotonergic Fibers as Random Walks-A Spatial Analysis

Environmental reward-predictive stimuli provide a major source of motivation for adaptive reward-seeking behaviors, which can become amplified in the addicted state, allowing cues to become potent 'triggers' for maladaptive behavior (e.g., drug seeking). I will present recent data from our lab showing that phasic dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens core tracks this cue-motivated behavior and that cue-evoked NAc dopamine responses are sensitive to need state, one critical variable that determines the current adaptive utility of such behavior.

To make adaptive decisions we must cast ourselves into the future and consider the possible outcomes of our potential choices. This prospective consideration is informed by our memories. I will discuss our lab’s recent work investigating the neural circuits responsible for encoding, updating, and retrieving reward memories for use in the considerations underlying decision making. We have taken a multifaceted approach to these investigations, combining modern circuit dissection and behavioral tools.