Dorsal Raphe Nucleus — CRF Neurons
AAV-DIO-hM4Di (DREADD) expression in CRF::Cre neurons of the dorsal raphe. Confocal, 20× objective.
Research Vision
Addiction Neuroscience,
Addiction Neuroscience,
One Circuit at a Time
About My Research
My research investigates the neural circuit and molecular mechanisms underlying drug-associated memory reconsolidation and its role in addiction relapse. Using a combination of chemogenetics (DREADDs), optogenetics, site-specific pharmacology, and behavioral paradigms in rodent models, I map how specific brain circuits maintain and destabilize drug-related memories — with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets to prevent relapse in substance use disorders.
A central focus of my work is the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in addiction. During my PhD at Washington State University in the Fuchs Lab, I identified the dorsal raphe nucleus and its CRF projections to the basolateral amygdala as critical regulators of cocaine-memory reconsolidation. Disrupting this circuit following memory reactivation persistently reduces cocaine-seeking behavior, offering a compelling window for intervention.
Research Interests
Drug Memory Reconsolidation
Dorsal Raphe Circuits
Basolateral Amygdala
Corticotropin-Releasing Factor
Optogenetics
Chemogenetics (DREADDs)
Substance Use Disorders
Hippocampal Circuits
Sex Differences in Addiction
Behavioral Neuroscience
Education & Background
2024 – present
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Kash Lab, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies
Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Investigating how alcohol and opioids alter dorsal raphe neural circuits
Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Investigating how alcohol and opioids alter dorsal raphe neural circuits
PhD
Doctor of Philosophy, Neuroscience
Washington State University — Fuchs Lab
Advisor: Dr. Rita A. Fuchs Dissertation: CRF circuit mechanisms underlying cocaine-memory reconsolidation
Advisor: Dr. Rita A. Fuchs Dissertation: CRF circuit mechanisms underlying cocaine-memory reconsolidation
B.S. 2018
Bachelor of Science, Psychology — Summa Cum Laude
Portland State University
Neuroscience outreach to K–12 students; STEM advocacy at the national level
Current Focus
As a postdoctoral associate in the Kash Lab at UNC Chapel Hill's Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, I am investigating how alcohol and opioid exposure remodel dorsal raphe circuits to drive addictive behavior. By applying the circuit-dissection tools I developed during my PhD to questions of alcohol and opioid use, I aim to uncover shared and distinct neural substrates underlying multiple substance use disorders.
Gallery
Microscopy
Representative fluorescence and confocal microscopy images from our rodent brain circuit work, including viral vector expression, immunohistochemistry, and fiber optic placements.
Basolateral Amygdala — CRF Axon Terminals
Anterograde tracing of DR→BLA CRF projections. mCherry (red) axon terminals, DAPI (blue). 40× objective.
Dorsal Hippocampus CA3 — Optogenetic Construct
AAV5-CaMKII-eArchT3.0-eYFP expression in CA3 pyramidal neurons. eYFP (green), NeuN (red). 20× objective.
BLA — CRFR1 Immunofluorescence
CRFR1 (green) co-labelled with CaMKII (red) in the basolateral amygdala. Triple-label with DAPI (blue). 40× objective.
Fiber Optic Placement — Dorsal Raphe
Coronal section showing bilateral fiber optic cannula placement above the dorsal raphe. Cresyl violet counterstain. 4× objective.
Whole-Brain DR Projection Mapping
Retrograde tracing from the BLA reveals dorsal raphe as a major input source. CTb (red) co-expressing CRF (green). 10× tile.
Dorsal raphe to basolateral amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor circuit regulates cocaine-memory reconsolidation
Neuropsychopharmacology (2024). doi: 10.1038/s41386-024-01892-5
Requisite role of dorsal raphé in contextual cocaine-memory reconsolidation
Neuropharmacology, 246, 109832 (2024). doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109832
Basolateral amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 1 regulates context-cocaine memory strength during reconsolidation in a sex-dependent manner
Neuropharmacology, 201, 108819 (2021). doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108819
Basolateral amygdala CB1 receptors gate HPA axis activation and context-cocaine memory strength during reconsolidation
Neuropsychopharmacology, 46(9), 1554–1564 (2021). doi: 10.1038/s41386-020-00919-x
Optogenetic inhibition of the dorsal hippocampus CA3 region during early-stage cocaine-memory reconsolidation disrupts subsequent context-induced cocaine seeking in rats
bioRxiv [Preprint] (2021). doi: 10.1101/2021.12.29.474477
Experimental Approaches
Research Methods
Core techniques and tools used to dissect neural circuits underlying addiction and drug-memory reconsolidation.
Chemogenetics (DREADDs)
Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) are used to selectively silence or activate defined neuronal populations in vivo. Viral delivery of inhibitory (hM4Di) or excitatory (hM3Dq) DREADDs into specific brain regions enables causal tests of circuit function during drug-memory reconsolidation.
Optogenetics
Light-gated ion channels (e.g., ChR2, eArchT3.0) are expressed in specific neuron populations via AAV, enabling millisecond-precision activation or inhibition with fiber optic light delivery. Used to probe the causal role of hippocampal CA3 and dorsal raphe circuits in cocaine-memory reconsolidation.
Rodent Behavioral Models
Self-administration paradigms in which rats lever-press for intravenous cocaine establish a robust drug-memory engram. Conditioned place preference and context-induced reinstatement tests quantify drug-seeking and allow targeted disruption of reconsolidation within precise behavioral windows.
Immunofluorescence & Confocal Microscopy
Post-hoc histological verification of viral vector placement and expression, fiber optic cannula positioning, and neuronal phenotype. Multi-channel immunofluorescence with confocal imaging is used to co-label CRF, CRFR1, NeuN, and fluorescent reporter proteins across key brain regions.
Site-Specific Pharmacology
Intra-cranial microinfusions of CRF receptor antagonists, cannabinoid receptor ligands, and other pharmacological agents into discrete brain regions allow receptor-specific dissection of circuit function without systemic off-target effects. This approach has revealed sex-dependent roles of CRFR1 in the BLA.
Statistical Analysis & Data Visualization
Behavioral and histological data are analyzed using mixed-model ANOVAs, planned comparisons, and non-parametric tests as appropriate. Data visualization and statistical analyses are performed in GraphPad Prism and R, following pre-registered analysis plans where applicable.