Methods In Translational AUD Research

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Brandon Molligoda

Boston University. Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience

Brandon Molligoda recently graduated summa cum laude from Boston University, where he obtained honors in neuroscience and minored in chemistry. During his time at BU, Brandon conducted research on alcohol use disorder and neurodegenerative diseases. His senior thesis project focused on examining the expression of T lymphocytes during disease progression in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brandon has accumulated significant experience in working with rodents and Drosophila and is proficient in techniques such as brain dissection, immunohistochemistry, and behavioral tests of neurological diseases.

Kyle L. Gobrogge

Boston University, Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience

Dr. Gobrogge began his career at Michigan State University where he examined the genetic and environmental influences underlying sex differences in behavior using human twin and rodent models with the guidance of his mentors Drs. Kelly Klump and Marc Breedlove. He went on to earn both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience at Florida State University, during which time he conducted studies investigating the neurobiology of aggression in the socially monogamous prairie vole in Dr. Zuoxin Wang’s laboratory. Following his studies on aggression, Dr. Gobrogge was awarded an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Postdoctoral Fellowship to investigate the behavioral consequences of manipulating octopamine neurons in male Drosophila at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Neurobiology under the direction of Dr. Edward Kravitz. To expand upon his behavioral neurogenetics research in flies, Dr. Gobrogge transitioned to the Department of Psychology at Tufts and the Neuroscience Program at Tufts University School of Medicine. During his time in the laboratories of Drs. Klaus Miczek and Jamie Maguire, Dr. Gobrogge employed cutting-edge opto- and chemo-genetic techniques to manipulate corticotrophin-releasing hormone neurons during social defeat and drug administration paradigms in male mice. He completed a third postdoctoral fellowship at Boston College in the Department of Psychology under the guidance of Dr. Alexa Veenema, where he dissected the neuronal circuitry underlying social play behavior in male rats. He later taught as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Northeastern University prior to joining BU’s Undergraduate Program in Neuroscience in 2019.

Collection Overview

Alcohol use is the most prominent form of drug use in the world. Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) present symptoms such as loss of control, compulsivity, and a strong negative affect. Despite the widespread prevalence of alcohol use, the availability of effective pharmacotherapies for AUD continues to remain limited. Currently, there are three FDA-approved medications for AUD that have varying mechanisms of action: disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate. However, these drugs have limited clinical benefits for patients in key outcome measures, such as reduction of binge drinking and the prevention of relapse.

Due to the need for improved therapeutic options for AUD, there has been considerable recent research focusing on the evaluation of novel pharmacotherapies. This collection will highlight the broad array of methods that are used in current preclinical research for AUD. The methods that will be included in this collection will fall into one or more of the following three categories.

Methods that allow for control of neural activity in regions of therapeutic interest for AUD, such as optogenetic or chemogenetic tools.
Methods that allow for examination of the neural function of relevant brain areas, such as calcium imaging or in vivo electrophysiology.
Methods that translate findings from the prior two categories using pharmacological interventions and behavioral assays

This collection will serve as a great point of reference for researchers who are interested in understanding the foundational methods that are used in translational AUD research.