Overview

Under the leadership of principal investigator Doo-Sup Choi, Ph.D., the Neurobiology of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Lab identifies and validates therapeutic targets for alcohol use disorder and comorbid and co-occurring psychiatric conditions.

Dr. Choi's lab applies state-of-the-art integrative neurobiological and pharmacological techniques to the study of addictive behaviors. To understand molecular mechanisms underpinning alcohol use disorder and comorbid psychiatric conditions, his team employs advanced technologies to translate the findings into clinical trials and applications. These technologies include fiber photometry, optogenetics, chemogenetics, circuit-specific ablation, circuit-specific stimulation and computational modeling.

Specific areas of research interest in our lab include:

• Neuron-astrocyte interaction in the striatum.
• Neural circuits that encode goal-directed, habitual and compulsive alcohol-seeking behaviors.
• Effects of chronic and binge alcohol exposure on Alzheimer's disease.
• Energy homeostasis in alcohol use disorder and psychiatric disorders.
• Pharmacometabolomics biomarkers in alcohol use disorder and psychiatric disorders.

Since its founding in 2005, the Neurobiology of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Lab has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and other extramural funding sources.

Affiliations

Dr. Choi's lab is affiliated with these Mayo Clinic research areas:

• Mayo Clinic Biobank — Mental Health
• Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics — Research
• Ph.D. Program: Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Track
• Ph.D. Program: Neuroscience Track
• Psychiatric Genomics and Pharmacogenomics Program
• Psychiatry and Psychology — Research
  • Pharmacogenomics
  • Samuel C. Johnson Genomics of Addiction Program