General Research Interests:
I am interested in how 'hedonic hotspots' in the brain generate pleasure and what neural circuits connect them. Areas of interest include the nucleus accumbens, the ventral pallidum, and lateral hypothalamus. Opioid and neuropeptide systems play a major role in my research.
Current Projects:
Comparing the effects of mu, delta, or kappa opioid receptor activation in the nucleus accumbens hotspot on pleasure 'liking'
Examining how projections from the lateral hypothalamus can modulate pleasure 'liking' via its inputs to the ventral pallidum hotspot
Examining whether or not parabrachial nucleus contains a hedonic hotspot
