The general goal of research in my laboratory is to combine molecular-genetic, systems, and cognitive-behavioral levels to understand how the brain produces behavior and cognition. Working primarily with mice, we focus on three areas: (1) memory consolidation and the substrates of permanent memory, specifically how hippocampus-dependent memory is transformed and stored permanently over many weeks or months, (2) fear and anxiety, including fear memory, and genetic contributions to fear and anxiety, and (3) memories governing addiction, specifically the role of "memory genes" in stimulant sensitization. A related line of research will examine the role of genetics in exceptional memory and intelligence. The overall focus of the lab then is to understand how memory is produced from the interplay of genes, neural systems, behavior, and cognition. Please see the lab webpage http://mocolab.org for a more detailed description of these projects.