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The premise of the Healey Lab's research is to investigate the developing brain and neurobiology of of substance use disorders, learning, memory, and affect using animal models. We employ tools such as high resolution microscopy, behavioral studies, electrophysiology, and other interdisciplinary approaches.
Current Projects
Current Projects
Research Area 1: The Long Hangover---Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol Exposure Effects on Adult Neurobiology and Behavior
Our primary line of research is to utilize rodent models of adolescent binge drinking (adolescent intermittent ethanol, AIE) to understand the persistent neurobiochemical and behavioral effects that last long after alcohol abstinence and into adulthood. The lab focuses on models of animal behavior that investigate learning, memory, and affect as well as the investigation of neuronal and non-neuronal cell types, such as astrocytes, that moderate these behaviors. An important goal of these experiments is to investigate novel treatments and pharmacotherapeutics to ameliorate the effects of AIE.
Research Area 2: The Generational Buzz---Generational Effects of Paternal Cannabis Exposure on Neurobiology
It is not well known what the effect of paternal cannabis use has on offspring. Utilizing rodent models of paternal cannabis exposure, we can investigate the effects on offspring neurobiology and behavior. Our collaborator, Dr. Edward Levin (Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine), has previously found that paternal cannabis exposure affects memory, opiate administration, and hyperactivity in offspring. We work with our partners at Duke and Dr. Levin to investigate the neurological alterations in offspring with paternal cannabis exposure brain regions associated with learning, memory, and reward.
Research Collaborators
Research Collaborators
Neurobiology of Adolescent Drinking in Adulthood (NADIA) Consortium
Dr. S. Alex Marshall Laboratory at North Carolina Central University
Dr. Victoria Macht Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Dr. Michael Scofield at the Medical University of South Carolina
Dr. Edward Levin at the Duke University School of Medicine
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