Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and malnutrition are two growing public health issues in the United States and the world. 140, 557 individuals die from excessive alcohol use each year and one in nine people are hungry and undernourished. Moreover, studies have shown that individuals who are malnourished are more likely to engage in reward-seeking behaviors […]
C58: DRN corticotropin-releasing hormone modulation of aELS-enhanced fear learning in adulthood
Patients diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) present with a spectrum of debilitating anxiety symptoms that result from exposure to one or more traumatic events, with women having increased vulnerability for diagnosis; however, the mechanisms of this increased vulnerability remain unknown. The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is a brain region that has been implicated in […]
CSI-04: Effects of Acute Early Life Stress and CRH2 Receptor Antagonism on Anxiety in Adult Rats
After undergoing an early life stress (ELS) event, susceptibility to fear and anxiety-related disorders becomes more common. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder are often precipitated by ELS experience and can negatively impact one’s life and ability to function. An established reciprocal neural circuit between serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) […]
A22: Impact of Nicotine and Alcohol Individually and Concurrently in ChAT-MOR Knockout Mice
Alcohol and nicotine are common substances that impact individuals individually and concurrently. This project aims to investigate the impact of nicotine and alcohol in ChAT-MOR mice individually and concurrently. Nicotine and ethanol both affect dopamine release through different mechanisms. We are specifically studying the impact of cholinergic interneurons on dopamine release within the striatum. CHAT-MOR […]
C24: Role of Nitric Oxide and Cricket’s Agonistic Behavior
Agonistic behavior is a critical aspect of animal behavior that is essential for survival and reproduction. Nitric oxide (NO) is a key neurotransmitter that has been shown to regulate a wide range of behaviors in both insects and mammals. In insects, NO has been demonstrated to modulate aggression, mating, feeding, and many other behaviors. In […]
C14: The Effects of Early Life Stress on Alcohol Drinking Behavior in Mice
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disorder affected by both genetic and environmental factors (Mayfield et al., 2008; Tawa et al., 2016; Young-Wolff et al., 2011). One such environmental variable that strongly correlates to the development of AUD and alcohol abuse is early life stress (ELS) (Guinle & Sinha, 2020; Sinha, 2001). ELS […]
B19: Examining Sex Differences in Ethanol Consumption Using the Four Core Genotypes Model
Previous research has shown that female rodents have higher rates of alcohol consumption than males, but the mechanisms underlying these behavioral differences have yet to be uncovered. Here, we used the Four Core Genotype mouse model along with Intermittent Access to evaluate the effects of gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes on drinking habits. Four Core […]
A52-P: Intro to Neuroscience: Exploring Dr. Quinn’s Lab
We are students engaging in an exploration of current research at Miami as part of the curriculum of BIO/PSY 159 with Dr. Joyce Fernandes. We were tasked with learning about Dr. Quinn’s research lab in the Psychology Department and communicating the findings to a wider audience. The general research area for Quinn lab’s latest publication […]
C39-P: Exploring Sex Differences in the Effects of Acute Early Life Stress on Reward Learning and Drug Sensitization in Adult Rats
Acute early life stress (ELS) has major behavioral and physiological implications later in life in mammals. In past experiments, the focus has been on chronic and not acute early life stressors. The literature is growing regarding the effects of ELS on drug-taking behavior later in life in both humans and rodent models. There is increased […]
C40-P: The Impact of Early Life Stress on the Development of Obesity and Anxiety Behavior in Adulthood
Individuals who experience early adversity are vulnerable to numerous somatic (e.g, obesity, heart disease) and psychological (e.g., anxiety, depression) health consequences later in life. Obesity affects one in six children and more than one-third of all adults in the United States. Current stress indicators range from absence of, or neglect by, the mother to a […]