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Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences
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Research Focus

Addiction

Addiction is a developmental disease that typically develops during childhood or adolescence. Most drugs of abuse target the brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine

With over 21 million of American suffering from addiction and a yearly death rate of 100’000 Americans, there is a strong need for research to stop the current epidemic. At the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences researchers team up with the Waggoner Center for Alcohol & Addiction Research to find solution and care for the patients.

Useful keywords: Dopamine, Addiction, Drug Use, Alcohol Use, …

Meet some of our leading researchers:

Researcher NameResearch FocusKeywordsLaboratories / Institutes
Caitlin Orsini
Caitlin Orsini
Psychiatric Disorders / Systems
• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Decision Making
• Anxiety Disorders
• Substance Use Disorders
Drug addiction /
Genetics /
Protein Biomarkers /
Sex Differences
Orsini Lab
Elizabeth Lippard
Elisabeth Lippard
Psychiatric Disorders / Systems
• Mood Disorders
• Bipolar Disorders
• Alcohol Use Disorders
• Depression,
• Neuroimaging
• Developmental neuroscience

Technology & Drugs Development
• Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring
Bipolar Disorder /
Stress
The Main Lab
Laureen Dobbs
Lauren Dobbs
Neurological Disorders / Systems
• Neuroscience
• Neural Circuits of Addiction
• Polysubstance Abuse
Behavioral Models /
Synaptic Transmission & Plasticity /
Opiates /
Behavioral Neuroscience /
Electrophysiology
Dobbs Lab
Lief Ericsson Fenno
Lief Ericsson Fenno
Psychiatric Disorders / Systems
• Optogenetic
• Gene Therapy
• Mental Illness
• Drug Addiction
Neuroscience /
Opioids /
Synthetic Biology /
Viral Engineering
Molecular Engineering, Design & Discovery Lab
Micky Marinelli
Micky Marinelli
Neurological Disorders / Systems
• Neurobiological Addiction
• Motivation
Neurosciences/
Addiction /
Motivation /
Stress /
Adolescence /
Dopamine
The Neuroscience of Addiction and Motivation
Robert O. Messing
Robert O. Messing
Neurological Disorders / Systems
• Pain
• Substance Use Disorders
• Neuroimmune Signaling
• Neuropeptides

Technology & Drugs Development
• Kinase Inhibitors
Neuroscience /
Addiction /
Pain /
Signal Transduction /
Translational Neuroscience /
Neuroimmune Signaling
Messing Lab

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Latest News

  • A Jolt of Innovation for Brain-Computer Interfaces June 16, 2025
  • Sound Waves That Heal: A Breakthrough for Depression and Anxiety May 12, 2025
  • Celebrating our Mulva Faculty Members Promotions March 24, 2025
  • UT CARE Initiative Seminar Series Speaker – Cemal Ozemek – Friday, 2/28/25 February 25, 2025
  • James Sulzer Student Travel Award to attend a conference: deadline Jan 15, 2025 December 15, 2024

Latest Publications

Do We All Do the Same Things? Applicability of Daily Activities at the Intersection of Demographics. Neuropsychology.

Prefrontal Cortical Dynorphin Peptidergic Transmission Constrains Threat-driven Behavioral and Network States. Neuron.

Knockdown of Tlr3 in Dorsal Striatum Reduces Ethanol Consumption and Acute Functional Tolerance in Male Mice. Brain Behav Immun.

Longitudinal Associations of Physical and Emotional Distress Tolerance with Pain Intensity and Pain-Related Disability in United States Veterans. The Journal of Pain.

Combining Detrended Cross-Correlation Analysis with Riemannian Geometry-based Classification for Improved Brain-computer Interface Performance. Front Neurosci.

The Role of Occipital Condyle and Atlas Anomalies on Occipital Cervical Fusion Outcomes in Chiari Malformation Type I with Syringomyelia: a Study from the Park-Reeves Syringomyelia Research Consortium. J Neurosurg Pediatr.

For a complete list of publications go to our Publications page!

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