Associate Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Associate Professor, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology
Associate Professor (Medical), Department of Psychiatry
College of Natural Sciences; College of Pharmacy; Dell Medical School
Dr. Marinelli, since 2003, has held two positions in the United States, as Assistant Professor at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, in North Chicago, and as Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Marinelli’s lab focuses on understanding the biological bases of addiction. Her and her team use a combination of models that are associated with increased addiction liability, such as that associated with age (i.e. adolescence), naturally-occurring within outbred populations (i.e. inter-individual differences), or induced by exposure to drugs and to stress.
Throughout their studies, they used a systems-approach, combining complementary levels of analysis, which include molecular (protein expression), cellular (neuronal activity and synaptic transmission using in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiology), anatomical (optogenetics and functional neuroanatomy), and behavioral studies (self-administration). By combining these levels of analysis, it is possible to answer questions of behavioral relevance at multiple levels, in the hope of gaining more insight on the mechanisms and treatment strategies for addiction.
View her coffee talk here.