Education: 
B.A. 1967 California State University, Northridge
Ph.D. 1973 University of Minnesota

Research Area:
Neurobiological basis of drug abuse

Academic Activities:
Faculty Executive Council
Scientific Advisory Committee, Translation Science Institute
Internal Advisory Board, Brain Tumor Research Center

Activities in Medical & Graduate Education:


Brief Summary of Research:
Our laboratory researches the processes and mechanisms of the addictive properties of drugs of abuse which include cocaine, heroin, the combination of the 2 drugs (speedball) and alcohol. Turnover rates of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, aspartate, glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid and acetylcholine in drug self-administering rats provide definition of the brain circuitry underlying the self-administration processes. These circuitries are then validated with in vivo microdialysis, intracranial microinjections of neurotoxin and selective receptor alkylating agents, neurotransmitter receptor binding, gene expression and proteomics to identify the molecular mechanisms mediating drug self-administration.

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Research Interests
Publications
Laboratory Personnel