Dr. David Linsenbardt, University of New Mexico, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosciences will present “Too Much, Too Fast: Identifying the Neural Causes and Consequences of Binge Drinking using Rodent Models"

Abstract:

The rapid consumption of large amounts of alcohol, known as binge drinking, is extremely commonplace - 1 in 7 New Mexican adults binge drink and do so on average 5 times per month. Thus, there is a current need to identify the neurobiological causes and consequences of binge drinking. Using rodent models of excessive alcohol consumption, we have identified unique roles of corticostriatal biology and function that support its role in drinking too much, too fast.

Biography:

My lab’s primary interest is the neurobiology of substance use/abuse disorders, particularly Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). We evaluate the role of genes and genetic background on susceptibility to excessive drug taking (for example, binge-drinking),  through the integration of systems genetics and systems neuroscience techniques. We record the neural activity of large populations of neurons in the brains of model organisms engaged in drug-taking behavior (see below), and then explore the molecular genetics behind the brain activity that we record. A main goal of this work is to identify and target the biological systems regulating excessive drug taking, to decrease or eliminate it.

Zoom link:

Link: https://unm.zoom.us/j/93891122118
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