University of Toronto
Pharmacology and Toxicology
The present study investigated the release of dopamine from the nucleus accumbens (shell) in response to pup-stimuli in the absence of lactation and maternal behaviors at time of sample collection. Subjects were female rats given maternal... more
This study investigated the effects of prenatal stress and complete maternal deprivation, using the artificial rearing (AR) paradigm, on the expression of neural plasticity markers and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis... more
The zebrafish has been proposed for the analysis of the neurobiological and behavioral effects of alcohol in vertebrates. Significant behavioral changes induced by acute alcohol treatment, adaptation to chronic alcohol exposure, and... more
"The aim of this study was to explore the psychopharmacological characteristics of opioid induced conditioned reinforcement using oxycodone, a potent mu-opioid receptor agonist with known abuse potential. In differed groups of rats,... more
In mammals, episodic memory and spatial cognition involve context-specific recruitment of unique ensembles in the hippocampal formation (HF). Despite their capacity for sophisticated spatial (e.g., for migration) and episodic-like (e.g.,... more
Memories are stored in the brain as cellular ensembles activated during learning and reactivated during retrieval. Using the Tet-tag system, we labeled dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG) neurons activated by positive, neutral or negative... more
In mammals, episodic memory and spatial cognition involve context-specific recruitment of unique ensembles in the hippocampal formation (HF). Despite their capacity for sophisticated spatial (e.g., for migration) and episodic-like (e.g.,... more
The dentate gyrus (DG) engages in sustained Arc transcription for at least 8 hours following behavioral induction, and this time course may be functionally coupled to the unique role of the DG in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory.... more
Birds possess a hippocampus that serves many of the same spatial and mnemonic functions as the mammalian hippocampus but achieves these outcomes with a dramatically different neuroanatomical organization. The properties of spatially... more
SummaryThe formation and extinction of fear memories represent two forms of learning that each engage the hippocampus and amygdala. How cell populations in these areas contribute to fear relapse, however, remains unclear. Here, we... more
ABSTRACTSystems consolidation (SC) theory proposes that recent, contextually rich memories are stored in the hippocampus (HPC). As these memories become remote, they are believed to rely more heavily on cortical structures within the... more
The hippocampus processes both spatial-temporal information and emotionally salient experiences. To test the functional properties of discrete sets of cells in the dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG), we examined whether chronic optogenetic... more
ABSTRACTAlcohol withdrawal directly impacts the brain’s stress and memory systems, which may underlie individual susceptibility to persistent drug and alcohol-seeking behaviors. Numerous studies demonstrate that forced alcohol abstinence,... more
The hippocampus is involved in processing a variety of mnemonic computations specifically the spatiotemporal components and emotional dimensions of contextual memory.1–3 Recent studies have demonstrated vast structural and functional... more