Congrats Rich lab!!!

Header for my new publication (linked)

It’s published… the first manuscript from the Rich Lab is officially typeset and published!!!

What an absolutely surreal moment… that I’m going to try my best to enjoy while awaiting the results of a study section from last week 😅😅😅

journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol...

Check out our latest research drop! We show BLA dopamine signaling encodes the emotional weight of sensory transitions, but not the associative strength or value of stimuli. These signals dynamically rescale when the learning context changes: "this matters most!" www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Very nice. Go Saunders lab.

a woman says " the flavour is just " in front of the great canadian baking show logo ALT: a woman says " the flavour is just " in front of the great canadian baking show logo

Wonderful visit with the amazing chemosensory scientists at Monell. Huge thanks to @amberalhadeff.bsky.social for hosting my seminar focused on locus coeruleus regulation of cortical taste processing!

It was great to see the Hardaway lab’s exciting data on GLP1 in the central amygdala. We enjoyed your visit.

🎉 Congrats to Chris Engborg, former grad student, on his Neuroscience cover art!

🧠 Coronal brainstem sections show noradrenergic C1/A1 neurons in medulla labeled for CB1 receptor mRNA (magenta) & TH protein (green).

Science makes beautiful art! #Neuroscience #CoverArt

Stress reactivity is modulated by cannabinoid type-1 receptors in norepinephrine and epinephrine neurons in a context-dependent manner Disruptions in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and norepinephrine/epinephrine (NE/E) system are individually linked to stress-related neuropsychiatri…

7/
Grateful to our collaborators and lab team for their insights and dedication.
📄 Read the full study: sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
#Neurobiology #Endocannabinoids #MentalHealth #ScienceThread #Norepinephrine

6/
This context-dependent modulation hints at a more sophisticated role for CB1 signaling in emotional regulation. It may help explain why cannabinoid-based therapies show variable effects across individuals and conditions.

5/
Our findings? The absence of CB1 receptors in these neurons did not uniformly increase or decrease stress responses. Instead, the effects varied depending on the context—suggesting a nuanced, situation-specific role.

4/
Using conditional knockout models, we selectively deleted CB1 receptors from NE/EPI neurons. This allowed us to isolate their contribution to stress-related behaviors without affecting CB1 signaling elsewhere.

3/ We found CB1R transcript is widely found in NE and EPI neurons of C1/A1 and C2/A2, with sparse LC expression.

2/
The endocannabinoid system is known to regulate emotional responses, but its role in catecholaminergic neurons—those producing NE and EPI—has been less clear. We explored how CB1 receptor signaling in these neurons affects stress reactivity.

🧠 1/ In our latest study, we show that stress responses aren't one-size-fits-all. CB1 receptors in norepinephrine & epinephrine neurons modulate stress reactivity contextually. A nuanced look at the endocannabinoid system's role in emotional regulation www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Caudate serotonin signaling during social exchange distinguishes essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease patients Nature Communications - Measurements of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine in the caudate of conscious humans reveal a neurochemical boundary between patients with essential tremor and...

🧪 I might be the only author on Blueksy, so here we go.
Serotonin in the caudate while doing uniquely human things (a social game) provides information about movement disorder diagnosis.
This work started a long time ago with Ken (when he was at Wake Forest) working with Read at VT.
rdcu.be/eDDPf

Honored to be the next co-chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Catecholamines with amazing @bensaunders.bsky.social! This meeting is a vibrant space for cutting-edge science & community, deepening understanding of how catecholamines shape brain circuits and behavior. Excited for what’s ahead!

Honored to be elected to serve as the next vice co-chair, along with the amazing @sciolinolab.bsky.social, for the Catecholamines Gordon Research Conference. I first came to this meeting in 2011 as a grad student and it was transformative for my career. Excited to help cultivate that for others.

Congrats Dionnet! Looks strong

Our new preprint: 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

We describe how the LS guides defensive responses by forming critical computations built from functionally and molecularly distinct cells and their afferent inputs.

www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6...

Congrats McElligott lab!!!

UAB Neurobiology is hiring up to 4 new tenure-track faculty as part of 3 new open-rank searches. Come join our vibrant, supportive, and growing neuroscience community!
uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/23916
uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/23944
uab.peopleadmin.com/postings/24010

Congratulations!!! So well deserved

Great sports!

Lab skate night 2024 was so much fun

Glad you are out of the house. I’m going stir crazy with 7 days of no school for the kiddo

Lab holiday party 2024. Very lucky to have these guys.

Strange, just verified my email, maybe it will work now. Thanks again!!!

Thanks for compiling this! Add me too please.