Dr. Cassandra Modrak, a new postdoctoral fellow in the Hodge Lab, received an “Outstanding Poster Presentation” award at the Annual North Carolina Postdoc Research Symposium on June 20th.
The Annual North Carolina Postdoc Research Symposium, held at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, is a major multidisciplinary event that gathers postdoctoral scholars from premier institutions across the state, including UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, NC State University, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The event provides a platform for postdocs to present their work, network, and engage with the broader North Carolina research community. Dr. Modrak’s poster was titled, “Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure in mice elicits heightened mRNA expression of GluA1-containing AMPARs and associated trafficking proteins in the amygdala.” Her research investigates the complex neural mechanisms that contribute to Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Specifically, she presented evidence showing that chronic intermittent ethanol exposure affects gene expression for key glutamate receptors and their associated proteins in the amygdala, a brain region critical for reward and emotional processing. The findings suggest that as alcohol dependence progresses, the underlying molecular mechanisms in the brain may shift over time. This work provides critical insight into the progression of AUD and may guide future studies aimed at understanding and treating alcohol craving and relapse. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Modrak on this impressive achievement!