Sade Spencer, PhD

Research in the Spencer Lab focuses on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying reward and related to the development of substance use disorders. Because substance use disorders are highly comorbid with other neuropsychiatric conditions like anxiety and depression, the Spencer lab also examines the overlapping and distinct substrates of these diseases. We combine behavioral analysis in preclinical rodent models with molecular, pharmacological, and genetic tools. Current projects center on the effects of the psychostimulant cocaine and synthetic and phytocannabinoids. It is our hope that a better understanding of the trajectory of the neuroplasticity, physiology, and neurochemistry that underlie these behaviors will help guide the rational design or discovery of new, more effective treatments.