Laboratory of Addiction Neuroscience

Chris Pierce, PhD, Director

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  • Most Recent Publications
  • Temporally dependent changes in cocaine-induced synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens shell are reversed by D1-like dopamine receptor stimulation
  • Enhanced extinction of cocaine seeking in brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met knock-in mice
  • Increased BDNF expression in the ventral tegmental area during cocaine abstinence is associated with increased histone acetylation at BDNF exon I-containing promoters
  • Cocaine self-administration leads to alterations in limbic and motor circuitry
  • Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the nucleus accumbens core and shell contribute to cocaine priming-induced reinstatement of drug seeking
  • Ventral tegmental area afferents in stress-induced reinstatement: The role of CREB
  • Complete index of publications...
• Lab Photos
• About Dr. Pierce
• Lab Staff
  • Chris Pierce, Ph.D.
  • Research Assistant Professors
  • Pavel Ortinski, Ph.D.
  • Heath Donmar Schmidt, Ph.D.
  • Postdoctoral Fellows
  • Lisa Briand, Ph.D.
  • Graduate Students
  • Leonardo Guercio
  • Samantha White
  • Research Assistants
  • Blake Kimmey
  • Undergraduates
  • Alumni

Some of ’s Publications

Temporally dependent changes in cocaine-induced synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens shell are reversed by D1-like dopamine receptor stimulation
Ortinski PI, Vassoler FM, Carlson GC, Pierce RC. Neuropsychopharmacology, March 2012. .

Ventral tegmental area afferents in stress-induced reinstatement: The role of CREB
Briand LA, Vassoler FM, Pierce RC, Valentino RJ, Blendy JA. Journal of Neuroscience, December 2010. 30:16149-16159.

Cocaine-induced chromatin remodeling increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor transcription in the rat medial prefrontal cortex, which alters the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine
Sadri-Vakili G, Kumaresan V, Schmidt HD, Famous KR, Chawla P, Vassoler FM, Overland RP, Xia E, Bass CE, Terwilliger EF, Pierce RC, Cha JH. Journal of Neuroscience, September 2010. 30:11735-11744.

Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens shell attenuates cocaine priming-induced reinstatement of drug seeking in rats
Vassoler FM, Schmidt HD, Gerard ME, Famous KR, Ciraulo DA, Kornetsky C, Knapp CM, Pierce RC. Journal of Neuroscience, August 2008. 28:8735-8739.