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People > Faculty
Jay
McLaughlin • See curriculum vitae (pdf)
Dr. McLaughlin’s research is on the neurological mechanisms underlying the psychological disorders of stress, depression and drug addiction. His group examines the interactions of stress-induced endogenous opioids (e.g. endorphins and dynorphins) and growth factors (e.g. BDNF) with reward pathways, and the resultant behavioral consequences. As stress may predispose subjects to both behavioral depression and increased drug use, further understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms mediating the response to stress and the role of the endogenous opioid system are likely to provide new insights into the problems of stress adaptation. Dr. McLaughlin’s ongoing research utilizes biochemical, pharmacological, neuroanatomical and behavioral methods. Behavioral studies characterize the reactions of stress-exposed mice to both environmental stimuli and abused drugs (e.g. morphine and cocaine) in learning and conditioned-place preference tasks.Neuroanatomical studies use immunocytochemical staining techniques to visualize the brain cells mediating these behaviors. Pharmacological methods are used to identify and manipulate the neurotransmitters mediating the stress-induced behavioral responses. Molecular biochemical methods are utilized to produce tools such as phosphospecific receptor antibodies to further examine the molecular determinates of the stress-induced behaviors. The goal of these studies is to elucidate the combined mechanism of these interactions, thereby identifying new therapeutic interventions for stress, depression and drug abuse. PSY U656: Seminar in Psychobiology (fall)
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Research