Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience Faculty Recruitment Seminar   

Luis Natividad, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
The Scripps Research Institute

  • Friday, November 9, 2018
  • 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Steger Center Conference Hall

Drug addiction is characterized in part by the emergence of negative affect during periods of drug abstinence. In this regard, chronic alcohol exposure dysregulates brain stress signaling and contributes to problem anxiety and excessive alcohol consumption. Further, individuals with innate sensitivity to stress and emotional dysfunction are increasingly susceptible to alcohol use disorder. As endogenous cannabinoids (e.g., 2-arachidonoylglycerol and N-arachidonoylethanolamine) provide an important mechanism of inhibitory constraint of the stress response, I will elaborate more on the premise of dysregulated endocannabinoid signaling influenced by chronic alcohol exposure relative to observations in a genetic model of “innate alcohol dependence”. The findings will be discussed in terms of deficient gating control of the major output region of the amygdala, the therapeutic potential of serine hydrolase inhibitors (the major clearance enzymes of endocannabinoids) to restore control of these dysfunctional circuits, and a parsing of responses supporting a role for these neuromodulators in state versus trait anxiety.


Join on-line from a PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android device: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/6407137054

For more information, contact Jonathan Hedrick