Join the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM) for a hybrid event featuring Dr. Shahrdad Lotfipour, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.

Molecular neurobiology of adolescent nicotine use

Adolescence is a critical period for brain development, particularly in systems underlying reward and addiction. My lab’s research focuses on understanding how genetic and environmental factors interact to influence adolescent nicotine use, co-morbid substance abuse, and relapse. Using innovative CRISPR-Cas9-generated rodent models mimicking human genetic variants, we investigate the molecular, neurochemical, and behavioral mechanisms driving nicotine’s effects on reward and relapse. This talk will highlight key findings on the sex- and genotype-dependent influences of the CHRNA6 3′-UTR SNP on dopamine and norepinephrine systems, behavioral outcomes in nicotine and methamphetamine co-use, and nicotine-seeking behavior. These insights provide a framework for exploring targeted therapeutic strategies for adolescent substance use.

This event will be held in-person in the Herklotz Conference Center and virtually via Zoom.