Dr. William Hodos NACS Seminar: Dr. Mary Kay Lobo

Impact of opioids and stress across the lifespan

 

Negative affective states are behavioral consequences of adverse experiences such as stress or exposure to and prolonged abstinence from addictive drugs such as opioids. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms occurring in the complex brain that underlie negative affective behavior can provide a stronger foundation for developing treatments for long lasting harmful behaviors from these adverse experiences. Our lab has been investigating the ventral basal ganglia and reward circuitry in these conditions, including with in utero exposure to stress or opioids or exposure during the adult stage. We are identifying many overlapping molecular and cellular mechanisms but also disparate mechanisms dependent on age of adverse exposure and condition. This seminar will shed light on these mechanisms occurring across the life span with stress and opioid exposure that result in negative affective states.

Dr. Mary Kay Lobo is a Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Dr. William Hodos NACS Seminars are free and open to the public.