Genetic, pharmacological, and behavioral dissection of G-protein coupled receptor signal transduction in pain and neuropsychiatric disorders

Research Abstract

Stress can dramatically alter motivated behavior, leading to maladaptive decision-making, depression, anxiety, and addiction. The stress response is controlled by G-protein coupled (GPCR) neurotransmitter receptors in the central and peripheral nervous system. A vast number of pharmaceutical agents directly target GPCRs. To expand our knowledge of the brain and identify potential novel targets for physiological and psychological diseases, I’m interested in discovering how GPCR receptor systems function in the context of stress-induced anxiety, depression, pain, and addiction. I’ve adopted a multidisciplinary approach to study the pharmacological, biochemical, physiological, and neurobiological basis of stress.

Source:  http://dbbs.wustl.edu/faculty/Pages/faculty_bio.aspx?SID=6255