Postdoctoral Fellow

Responsibilities
Details of Research Project:

We will investigate the role of Sirt7, a histone deacetylase, in D1-type medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs), focusing on how it shapes synaptic plasticity and modulates resilience to compulsive alcohol drinking. Our central hypothesis is that that epigenetic changes in D1-MSNs of the dorsomedial striatum, driven primarily by histone acetylation and modulated by Sirt7, promote transcriptional and synaptic adaptations that jointly confer resilience to compulsive-like drinking. The rationale for this project is grounded in compelling preliminary data suggesting that transcriptional changes in the histone acetylation process, particularly those regulated by Sirt7, are associated with reduced compulsive-like drinking in mice

through the transcriptional control of synaptic pathways.

Technical Duties: (include any protocols)

Responsibilities will include conducting alcohol-related behavioral experiments, including operant self-administration and other drinking paradigms; maintaining and managing mouse colonies; performing stereotaxic surgeries and related experimental procedures; monitoring animals throughout behavioral studies; and collecting brain tissue for downstream molecular and cellular analyses.

Qualifications
Educational and other Requirements for the position: PhD in Biological Science

Experience Required: At least 5 years of experience working with laboratory mice, including mouse handling and behavioral experiments.

Goals/Outcomes of the Research Project: Identify mechanisms that promote resilience to compulsive alcohol drinking, a clinically relevant phenotype of AUD characterized by continued drinking despite adverse consequences.