Faculty & Research

Hodge Research Team:  Front Row: Joyce Besheer, Ph.D., Mary Beth Wilkie, Clyde Hodge, Ph.D., Marina Spanos, Sara Faccidomo, Ph.D. Top Row: Amanda Sharko, Rebekah Stevenson, Jennie Hillman.

Goals

• To discover the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms that mediate the reinforcing and pleasurable subjective effects of alcohol.
• To elucidate molecular mechanisms of alcohol-induced changes in mood (i.e., depression).
• To identify the long-term effects of alcohol exposure during adolescence.
• To utilize our understanding of reinforcement to identify novel neural targets and validate pharmacological compounds that may be used to treat problems associated with alcohol abuse and alcoholism

Research Contributions

• Found that pharmacological blockade of mGlu5 receptors reduces alcohol self-administration and prevents relapse to alcohol drinking after abstinence. 
• Determined that mGlu5 receptors mediate the subjective/discriminative stimulus effects of alcohol.
• Discovered that acute alcohol rapidly activates Protein Kinase C – gamma in the mammalian brain.
• Using gene knockout mice, shown that Protein Kinase C - epsilon regulates alcohol drinking, reinforcement, sensitivity, withdrawal, and mesolimbic dopamine release through enhancement of GABAA receptor function.
• Discovered that Protein Kinase C – epsilon is required for GABAergic modulation of alcohol drinking.
• Showed that targeted gene deletion of the 5-HT3A receptor subunit blunts the induction of cocaine sensitization.