M. Foster Olive
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Phone: 480-727-4667
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Mail code: 1104Campus: Tempe
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M. Foster Olive heads the Addiction Neuroscience Laboratory at Arizona State University. His group is interested in examining how abused drugs affect the brain on a neurobiological level.
He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from University of California at San Diego, and his doctoral degree in neuroscience from University of California at Los Angeles. His postdoctoral research was performed at Stanford University and the University of California at San Francisco. His research has been published in journals such as Psychopharmacology, Biological Psychiatry, Journal of Neuroscience, and Nature Neuroscience, and he currently serves on the editorial boards for Neuropsychopharmacology, Addiction Biology, Neuropharmacology, and Frontiers in Pharmacology. Professor Olive’s research is supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Senior Scientist, University of California-San Francisco, 1998-2003
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Stanford University, 1997-1998
- Ph.D. Neuroscience, University of California-Los Angeles 1997
- B.A. Psychology, University of California-San Diego 1991
His group is interested in examining how abused drugs affect the brain on a neurobiological level. Specifically, what long-lasting changes do abused drugs produce in the brain that ultimately result in dependence and addiction? Can these changes be minimized or reversed? What makes some individuals vulnerable to addiction while others are resilient? Under what circumstances, and in what brain regions, do drugs produce toxic effects on neurons and other cell types? Given the poor outcomes of existing treatments for addictive disorders, our ultimate goal is to identify novel biological targets for innovative therapies that can be integrated into other treatment approaches to facilitate healing of the addicted brain.
Current research projects in the laboratory utilize model organisms to examine:
- The neural circuits and neurochemical mechanisms underlying the ability of alcohol to active brain endorphin systems
- The ability of abused drugs to induce neuroinflammation and lasting morphological (structural) changes in neurons
- Mechanisms of alcohol dependence and co-abuse with psychostimulants
Addiction Neuroscience Laboratory
https://psychology.clas.asu.edu/research/labs/addiction-neuroscience-la…
- Olive MF, Burrows BT, Leyrer-Jackson JM (eds). Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Technologies. In: Neuromethods (series ed. W. Walz), Springer Protocols/Humana Press, New York, NY, 314 pp, 2021.
- Olive MF. Heroin, 2nd ed. In series: Understanding Drugs (DJ Triggle, consulting ed), Chelsea House Publishers/InfoBase: New York, NY, 102 pp., 2022.
- Acuña AM, Park C, Leyrer-Jackson JL, Olive MF. Promising immunomodulators for management of substance and alcohol use disorders. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy 25:867–884, 2024.
- Meier MH, Olive MF, Jenks OA, Wernik SR. Cannabis use and cognitive functioning across the lifespan. Current Addiction Reports 11:384-395, 2024.
- Acuña AM, Nagy EK, Legg JL, Rodarte SE, Olive MF. Characterization of serum and brain cytokine levels following prolonged binge-like methamphetamine self-administration and cued methamphetamine seeking. Journal of Neuroimmunology 400:578530, 2025.
2016-2023 Principal Investigator, R01 AA025590, “Brain endorphin targets of low dose alcohol” (R01), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
2017-2023 Principal Investigator, R01 DA043172, “Characterization and reversal of neurocognitive dysfunction produced by long-term synthetic cathinone use”, National Institute on Drug Abuse
2023-2028 Principal Investigator, R01 AA030061, “Regulation of binge-like ethanol intake by arcuate POMC projection neurons”, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,
Courses
2026 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| NEU 477 | Systems & Behavioral Neuro |
| NEU 477 | Systems & Behavioral Neuro |
| BIO 477 | Systems & Behavioral Neuro |
| BIO 477 | Systems & Behavioral Neuro |
2025 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| NEU 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| NEU 394 | Special Topics |
| NEU 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| NEU 307 | Your Brain on Drugs |
2025 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| NEU 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| NEU 307 | Your Brain on Drugs |
| PSY 384 | Psych Undergrad Teaching Asst |
2024 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| PSY 399 | Supervised Research |
| NEU 394 | Special Topics |
| NEU 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| NEU 493 | Honors Thesis |
| NEU 394 | Special Topics |
| NEU 394 | Special Topics |
2024 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 493 | Honors Thesis |
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| PSY 570 | Psychopharmacology |
| PSY 591 | Seminar |
2023 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| PSY 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| NEU 307 | Your Brain on Drugs |
| NEU 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| NEU 493 | Honors Thesis |
2023 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NEU 494 | Special Topics |
2022 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| NEU 307 | Your Brain on Drugs |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 591 | Seminar |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| NEU 307 | Your Brain on Drugs |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| PSY 591 | Seminar |
2020 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| BIO 495 | Undergraduate Research |
| PSY 591 | Seminar |
| PSY 307 | Your Brain on Drugs |
2021
Invited Speaker, “Early life rearing conditions and their effects on motivation for heroin”, Department of Psychology Department of Psychological Science Colloquium Series, University of Northern Michigan (virtual presentation)
Invited Speaker, “Early life rearing conditions and their effects on motivation for heroin”, Translational Addiction Research Network, Arizona State University (virtual presentation)
2022
Invited Speaker, “Brain Science of Addiction”, Opioid Policy Fellows Program Kickoff Meeting, National Conference of State Legislatures (virtual presentation)
Invited Speaker, “Unpredictable maternal care produces sex-dependent effects on heroin seeking”, Transforming Discovery and Treatment: Opioid Addiction and Chronic Pain, Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, University of Arizona Health Sciences Campus
2023
Invited Panelist, “Forebrain neuroinflammatory processes in psychostimulant induced cognitive dysfunction”, Winter Conference on Brain Research, Snowbird, UT
2025
Invited Speaker, “Your Brain on Psychedelics - The Neuroscience of Hallucinogens”, The Psychedelics Club at ASU (student organization), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
2012, 2018 Nominee, Zebulon Pearce Distinguished Teaching Award, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
2015 Leadership Academy, Neuroscience Team, Office of Knowledge and Enterprise Development, Arizona State University
2016 Elected to American College of Neuropsychopharmacology as Fellow
2018 Faculty of the Month, Psi Chi Psychology Honors Organization, Arizona State University
2018 Elected as Faculty Member of Faculty of 1000 Prime (F1000Prime), Pharmacology and Drug Discovery Section
2019 Faculty Member of the Year, Pharmacology and Drug Discovery Section, Faculty of 1000 Prime (F1000Prime)
2023 Professor of Impact Award, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Editorial Board Memberships
Addiction Biology
Neuropsychopharmacology
Behavioural Pharmacology
Frontiers in Pharmacology
Neuropharmacology
Chronic Stress
Scientific Reports
Society for Neuroscience, Research Society on Alcoholism, International Drug Abuse Research Society, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, College on Problems of Drug Dependence
Doctoral Dissertation Committees (chair or co-chair):
Amber LaCrosse (Department of Psychology, 2010-2014)
Lucas Watterson (Department of Psychology, 2011-2014)
Candace Lewis (Department of Psychology, 2011-2015)
Elizabeth Watterson (Department of Psychology, 2011-2015)
Devin Taylor (Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 2011-2015)
Seven Tomek (Department of Psychology, 2016-2020)
Mark Namba (Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 2020-2022)
Amanda Acuña (Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 2021-present)
2003-2005 Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco
2005-2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina
2010-2012 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
2012-2018, Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
2018-present, Professor with Tenure, Department of Psychology, Arizona State University
Student Affairs and Grievances Committee, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Arizona State University
Leadership Academy, Neuroscience Team, Arizona State University
University Laboratory Safety Committee, Arizona State University
Neuroscience Review Subcommittee AA-4, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Special Award Judge, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), Society for Science & the Public
Associate Director for Undergraduate Neuroscience, Arizona State University
Ad hoc reviewer for Arizona Biomedical Research Center, Foundation for Polish Science, Czech Science Foundation, Israel Science Foundation, National Science Foundation, Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Broad Agency Announcement for Extramural Medical Research, Healthy Brains for Healthy Lives Initiative, Mind Science Foundation, Veterans Administration Rehabilitation Research and Development SPiRE Program, Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Developmental Project, Mind Science Foundation
2000-2001 Consultant, Neurobiology Unit, Roche Bioscience, Palo Alto, CA