Annaka M. Westphal

This study shows prefrontal astrocytes encode reward contingencies and adapt to changes in reward associations, influencing conditioned behavior.

This paper develops a head-fixed ethanol self-administration model in mice, demonstrating reliable ethanol-seeking behavior and relapse-like reinstatement of lever pressing.

This study uses two-photon calcium imaging to analyze corticostriatal neuron activity in mice during heroin self-administration and relapse, identifying distinct neuronal ensembles and their role in drug-seeking behaviors.

This paper identifies nitrergic interneurons as key mediators of cue-induced synaptic plasticity in D1 MSNs required for cocaine seeking, showing that targeting nNOS or mGluR5 blocks relapse.

The paper identifies a specific subset of nucleus accumbens neurons targeted by prelimbic cortical input that mediate cue-induced cocaine relapse but not sucrose seeking.