The Schank Lab studies the interaction between stress, neuropeptides, and drug seeking behavior. The primary receptor system that we study is the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R), and we examine the function that it plays in the extended amygdala brain circuitry. We aim to identify how these processes influence drug/alcohol seeking behavior, anxiety, and depression.
Research
Main projects in the lab include:
- The neurocircuitry by which the NK1R mediates stress-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking
- The NK1R neurocircuitry that underlies the impact of social defeat stress on depression-like behavior and escalated alcohol consumption
- The role of the NK1R in oxycodone self-administration, stress-induced reinstatement, and sex differences in drug seeking
- The mechanisms of sex differences in aversion-resistant alcohol intake
