Mentor Areas
Dr. Schmidt directs the laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology. The overarching goal of the lab is to identify behavioral and molecular mechanisms that regulate addiction-like behaviors in order to develop new pharmacotherapies that can be used to treat substance use disorders and comorbid disorders. Specifically, Dr. Schmidt’s research program uses a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates behavioral pharmacology, molecular biology, viral-mediated gene delivery and chemogenetic techniques to identify novel drug-induced neuroadaptations that promote compulsive drug-seeking behavior. More recent studies aim to identify cell type- and circuit-specific mechanisms regulating addiction-like behaviors using these methods. In addition, Dr. Schmidt’s research program includes studies of obesity and cognitive deficits, comorbidities that are closely related to substance use disorders. Understanding how voluntary drug taking changes the brain to produce drug-seeking behaviors and aberrant withdrawal phenotypes is a highly applicable area of research for aspiring clinicians (nurses, medical doctors) and basic scientists. The ultimate goal of these preclinical studies is to translate data from our animal models into clinical trials in humans with substance use disorders.
Description:
Research in our laboratory involves studies of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying drug taking and seeking in rodents. These projects focus on drug self-administration (cocaine, nicotine and opioids) in rats and how repeated exposure to drugs of abuse and subsequent withdrawal change the brain to produce addiction-like behaviors and co-morbid disorders (cognitive deficits, hyperphagia, weight gain, mood disorders, etc).
Undergraduate projects include running behavioral studies and molecular biology experiments to identify neuroadaptations that mediate drug reinforcement and withdrawal phenotypes. Responsibilities include: animal husbandry (i.e., changing cages, feeding, watering, etc); lab maintenance; running drug self-administration experiments; behavioral pharmacology experiments in rodents, brain dissection, immunohistochemistry, data analysis and presenting research findings at lab meetings and local conferences.
Research opportunities are primarily work-study. On rare occasions volunteer work has been accommodated.
Preferred Qualifications
We welcome undergraduates, both rising sophomores and juniors, to apply. A minimum of two years is required to train and generate data in the lab. Prior rat handling experience is desired although not required. A biology and neuroscience background is required.
Project Website
Learn more about the researcher and/or the project here. Schmidt Lab
Details:
Preferred Student Year
Second-Year, Junior
Academic Term
Fall, Spring, Summer
I prefer to have students start during the above term(s).Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.