Optogenetics

Stressful events can rapidly modify how the brain responds to its environment and guides behaviors. These processes are relevant for neurotypical brain function and for the development of affective disorders and other psychiatric diseases, yet we have much to learn regarding the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this paper, researchers utilized pharmacologic, transgenic, and optogenetic tools to evaluate changes in brain function related to stress. Read More

Histamine — commonly associated with allergies — also has a signaling role in the brain’s reward center and may offer a novel target for treating addiction. Read More

Ishmail Abdus-Saboor, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver the School of Medicine's next Discovery Sciences Emerging Scholars Lecture with the topic is "Genetic Interrogation of Neural Circuit Mechanisms for Pain." Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have identified cocaine-induced modifications at specific neuronal connections, which could aid the development of new therapies for substance abuse disorders. Read More

A team of Vanderbilt scientists have genetically modified luciferase, the enzyme that produces bioluminescence, so that it acts as an optical sensor that records activity in brain cells. Read More

A new light-based technology is allowing scientists to peer deep into the brain and alter animal behavior with the “flip of a switch.” Read More