Use of in vivo calcium imaging to study addiction.

摘要： 这一独立研究科学家奖的主要目标是为科林博士留出受保护的时间 McClung将获得新的技术技能，这些技能将补充她正在进行的成瘾研究计划 生物学。这一奖项将使她精通使用尖端的活体钙成像技术 在数天到数周的时间内测量动物行为的神经元活动的技术。她还会 了解如何处理和分析与此技术相关的大量数据。这将是 与卡内基梅隆匹兹堡大学的知名研究人员进行动态合作 大学、斯坦福大学和Mt.西奈大学。这项技术将扩展和补充她 现有的研究调查了昼夜节律蛋白在与奖赏相关的大脑区域中的作用 药物成瘾的病理生理学。具体地说，他们将首次允许她测量神经元活动 在昼夜节律蛋白被操纵的特定神经元群体中。这些 研究还将补充她目前的合作翻译项目，这些项目旨在理解 青少年昼夜节律失调对药物滥用风险的影响。这一奖项将 还允许McClung医生有时间与她的精神病学临床同事进行互动，目标是 未来形成翻译成瘾中心的重点是昼夜节律和睡眠的影响 干扰。因此，这一奖项将为未来的创新研究项目铺平道路，这些项目将帮助我们更好地 了解和治疗成瘾障碍。

Abstract: The primary goal of this independent research scientist award is to allow protected time for Dr. Colleen McClung to acquire new technical skills which will complement her ongoing research program in addiction biology. This award will allow her to become proficient in the use of cutting edge, in vivo calcium imaging technology to measure neuronal activity in behaving animals over periods of days to weeks. She will also learn how to process and analyze the large amounts of data that are associated with this technology. This will involve dynamic collaborations with prominent researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University and Mt. Sinai University. This technology will expand and complement her existing studies which investigate the role of circadian proteins in reward-related brain regions in the pathophysiology of drug addiction. Specifically, they will allow her for the first time to measure neuronal activity over circadian time in specific neuronal populations in which circadian proteins have been manipulated. These studies will also complement her current collaborative translational projects which are aimed at understanding the influence of circadian rhythm misalignments in adolescents in the risk for substance abuse. This award will also allow protected time for Dr. McClung to interact with her clinical colleagues in psychiatry with the goal of forming a translational addiction center in the future focused on the influence of circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions. Thus this award will pave the way for future innovative research projects that will help us better understand and treat addiction disorders.