Project 131: The Neural Circuits for Reward and Aversive Neural Ensembles in the Nucleus Accumbens

Contact Information

Assoc. Prof. Tifei Yuan

Project Description and Objectives:

The nucleus accumbens is the key brain structure for addiction. Exposure to addictive drugs causes an increase in dopamine release in the brain, leading to neuronal activation and changes in synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens, which are considered as an important mechanism of addiction. However, due to the heterogeneity of the nucleus accumbens, different neural subpopulations respond to rewarding or aversive stimuli differently. It has not been tested whether these two subpopulations of neurons have a different neural circuit. This project intends to utilize retrograde tracers to label the subpopulation of neurons activated by morphine, investigate the neural circuit, and provide morphology evidence for the neural basis of drug addiction. This project is important for elaborating the circuit basis of addiction in the nucleus accumbens and it is also important for exploring new targets and approaches for addiction treatment.

Eligibility Requirements:

Fluency in English writing and speaking.

Undergraduate student of biology, neuroscience, or medicine.

Animal behavior experiment experience.

Main Tasks:

Perform experiments, analyze experiments and write a research report.

Give a research presentation: technical presentation.

Website:

Lab: http://tfyuan-lab.strikingly.com

School: https://www.shsmu.edu.cn/english/