M. Foster Olive

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 abuse liability and neurotoxicity of emerging drugs of abuse such as synthetic cathinones (“bath salts”) 
• Interactions between social and neurobiological factors that underlie addiction to heroin and other opiates
• The ability of abused drugs to induce lasting morphological (structural) changes in neurons
• Mechanisms of alcohol dependence and co-abuse with psychostimulants