Alexis C. Thompson, PhD

Dr. Thompson’s research interest lies in neuropeptide regulation of the putative neural circuits involved in the expression of strongly motivated behaviors, including substance abuse disorders and maternal behavior. This research focuses mainly on two families of neuropeptides: gut peptides (e.g., neuropeptide Y and glucagon-like peptide-1) and endogenous opioids. Her current primary line of research focuses on the role of neuropeptide Y in mediating persistent cocaine abuse. A second line of research investigates placentophagia, a behavior that is common to most mammals during delivery of young, and its role in the regulation of endogenous opioid activity in the brain during parturition and then the consequences of this regulation of endogenous opioids to the onset of maternal behavior and pain sensitivity. A third line of research looks for cellular and molecular neural adaptations consequent to chronic drug exposure.

Conceptual

• Experimental psychology
• Behavioral pharmacology
• Cocaine addiction
• Maternal behavior
• Pain and analgesia
• Animal models of pain
• Animal models of psychostimulant abuse and addiction

Methodological

• Behavioral measures of rodent maternal behavior
• Behavioral measures of pain sensitivity (humans and animals)
• Rodent behavioral measures for activity and reactivity
• Electrochemical and immunological methods for the detections and quantification of neurochemicals and hormones,
• Microdialysis methods
• In vitro voltammetry