Sex Specific Effects of Adolescent Alcohol Exposure on BNST Plasticity

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Summary/Abstract: Linh Ha is a phenomenal first-year graduate student that will be joining my lab in May 2023. She is a Vietnamese American that grew up in New Orleans, LA. Linh qualifies for this diversity supplement under the “Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds” and meets four of the seven criteria including: 1) have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree, 2) were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants, 3) were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years, and 4) grew up in a “Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas”. The goal of the funded parent grant, R01AA028011-01A1, is to investigate the long-term sex-dependent changes in BNST plasticity and negative affect behavior from adolescence alcohol exposure and adult stress. Specifically, it evaluates the sex-dependent impacts of adolescent alcohol and stress on 1) the enhancement of glutamatergic inputs [via CRF-CRFR1 signaling], 2) BNST plasticity in specific projection regions, and 3) negative affect behavior. This diversity supplement describes a research plan that will extend this work to test the overarching hypothesis that BNST-kappa opioid receptors (KORs) regulate the sex differences in BNST plasticity and negative affect from adolescent alcohol exposure and stress. BNST-KORs are known to be important in alcohol withdrawal, stress, and negative affect but the interaction of these factors has not been explored in the context of adolescent alcohol exposure or across sex. The technical skills utilized in this research plan (especially electrophysiology) will set Linh apart when entering the job market for a postdoc position. LSUHSC is also great environment for graduate training and will allow Linh to gain expertise in alcohol research, professional development skills, grantsmanship training, and opportunities to share her work.