RESEARCH
RESEARCH
My research interest is to understand the effects that diet and stress play in adaptive cellular, structural and functional changes of adolescent brain development and behavior. Specifically, we focus on the neural mechanisms by which highly rewarding diets and social isolation during early adolescence alter motivation and social behaviors.
To achieve our goals, students are engaged in interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of behavior, neuroanatomy, and molecular neuroscience.
The current projects that we are carrying on are:
Sugar overconsumption during adolescence and intrinsic motivated behaviors on adulthood
Over the past few decades, the American diet has experienced a dramatic escalation in added sugar (sucrose) intake, and on average, the consumption by adolescents exceeds the recommended levels. Mounting evidence from studies of different species suggests a close relationship between sugar overconsumption and increased susceptibility to the development of numerous clinical conditions, including emotional and motivational deficits. Our focus in this project is to answer questions such as:
- Does sugar overconsumption during adolescence alter the motivation for natural rewards in adulthood?
- Are there mesolimbic neural developmental alterations due to habitual sugar consumption in adolescence?
- Are there long-lasting changes in brain metabolism due to sugar overconsumption?
Over the past few decades, the American diet has experienced a dramatic escalation in added sugar (sucrose) intake, and on average, the consumption by adolescents exceeds the recommended levels. Mounting evidence from studies of different species suggests a close relationship between sugar overconsumption and increased susceptibility to the development of numerous clinical conditions, including emotional and motivational deficits. Our focus in this project is to answer questions such as:
- Does sugar overconsumption during adolescence alter the motivation for natural rewards in adulthood?
- Are there mesolimbic neural developmental alterations due to habitual sugar consumption in adolescence?
- Are there long-lasting changes in brain metabolism due to sugar overconsumption?
Adolescent social isolation and maturation of emotional outcomes
Chronic social isolation during adolescence is a stressor that is detrimental to the proper maturation of neural circuits regulating emotions and the establishment of appropriate adult social behaviors. However, the neural substrates that are disrupted by this sort of adverse experience are not comprehensively identified. In this project, we seek to answer questions such as:
- Does social isolation during adolescence increase the vulnerability to the expression of aggressive behavior ?
- What are the neural adaptations in the limbic system triggered by social isolation ?
- Is it possible to revert long lasting social deficits in individuals exposed to chronic isolation ?
Chronic social isolation during adolescence is a stressor that is detrimental to the proper maturation of neural circuits regulating emotions and the establishment of appropriate adult social behaviors. However, the neural substrates that are disrupted by this sort of adverse experience are not comprehensively identified. In this project, we seek to answer questions such as:
- Does social isolation during adolescence increase the vulnerability to the expression of aggressive behavior ?
- What are the neural adaptations in the limbic system triggered by social isolation ?
- Is it possible to revert long lasting social deficits in individuals exposed to chronic isolation ?