Pain and Drug/Alcohol Abuse

Dr. Jeff Tasker

Tulane University

We use patch clamp electrophysiology, circuit analysis, molecular biology and behavioral approaches to study neuromodulation and neuroplasticity of synaptic circuits in the hypothalamus and amygdala that control physiological, behavioral and pathological responses to stress and trauma.

Lab Website: https://taskerlab.tulane.edu/

Contact: tasker@tulane.edu

Dr. Elizabeth Avegno

LSU HSC New Orleans

My research is focused on characterizing midbrain-extended amygdala circuitry, as well as alterations in these regions as a consequence of alcohol exposure across the lifespan, at the anatomical, physiological, and behavioral level.

Contact: eavegn@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Rajani Maiya

LSU HSC New Orleans

We study molecular mechanisms that underlie Alcohol Use Disorders

Lab Website: www.maiyalab.org

Contact: rmaiya@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Tiffany Wills

LSU HSC New Orleans

Wills lab studies sex differences in neuroadaptations (primarily within the extended amygdala) and resulting behavioral changes from adolescent alcohol exposure using electrophysiological, behavioral, and molecular techniques.

Lab Website: http://willslab.org/

Contact: twills@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Amanda Pahng

LSU HSC New Orleans/ VA

My primary research interest is investigating the neurobiology and interactive nature of chronic pain and opioid misuse.

Contact: apahng@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Nicholas Gilpin

LSU HSC

We examine the neurobiological interface between addiction, traumatic stress, and pain, utilizing a variety of behavioral, pharmacological, circuit-based, molecular, and cellular techniques.

Lab Website: http://www.gilpin-lab.com/

Contact: ngilpi@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Sunil Sirohi

Xavier University

The mission of the Laboratory of Endocrine and Neuropsychiatric Disorders (LEND) is to discover and develop improved pharmacotherapeutic agents to treat addictive and related neuropsychiatric disorders. We utilize an integrative behavioral, pharmacological, biochemical, and molecular approach to understand how certain food and drug rewards impact brain and behavior, which has potential therapeutic implications and is at the heart of our research endeavor.

Lab Website: https://sites.google.com/view/ssirohilab/home

Contact: SSIROHI@XULA.EDU

Dr. Scott Edwards

LSU HSC New Orleans

We investigate the neurobiology of alcohol use disorder and related co-morbidities taking a translational approach across rodents, non-human primates, and humans.

Lab Website: https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/physiology/faculty_detail.aspx?name=Edwards_Scott

Contact: sedwa5@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. James Zadina

Lab Website: https://medicine.tulane.edu/departments/tulane-center-aging-pharmacology-adjunct/faculty/james-e-zadina-phd

Contact: jzadina@tulane.edu