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2024

Congratulations to Annie Dankert for receiving two teaching awards for her outstanding mentorships as a teaching assistant in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience!

Annie is a graduate student in the Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience Program and a member of the Thiele Laboratory. Annie was awarded a Student Undergraduate Teaching Award from the Student Undergraduate Teaching and Staff Awards (SUTASA) Committee, and she will receive recognition for this honor at the Chancellor’s Awards Ceremony in the Great Hall of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024.

Annie was also awarded the Graduate Student Undergraduate Teaching Award from UNC’s chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, and she will be recognized for this award at the Psychology and Neuroscience departmental commencement on the morning of Sunday, May 12th, 2024.

Receiving these two teaching awards is truly an amazing accomplishment that reflects Annie’s dedication and passion for teaching. Way to go Annie!

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Chemogenetic inhibition of locus coeruleus to rostromedial tegmental nucleus noradrenergic pathway increases light cycle ethanol drinking in male and female mice and blunts ethanol-induced CTA” in the journal, Neuropharmacology.

Dr. Ana Dornellas, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Thiele Lab, published a paper revealing that chemogenetic silencing of a noradrenergic circuit originating in the locus coeruleus and innervating the rostromedial tegmental nucleus increase alcohol drinking in mice and blunts the aversive properties of alcohol as assessed by conditioned taste aversion learning. These findings were published in the journal Neuropharmacology.

2023

Annie Dankert successfully defends her master’s thesis project       

Annie Dankert, a graduate student in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program and a member of the Thiele Lab, successfully defended her master’s thesis project, congratulations Annie!

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Basolateral amygdala neuropeptide Y system modulates binge ethanol consumption” in the journal, Neuropsychopharmacology.

Dr. Stacey Robinson, a former postdoctoral fellow under in the Thiele Lab, published a paper revealing that NPY signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and in a BLA to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) circuit, modulates binge-like ethanol intake in mice. These findings were published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Orexinergic Lateral Hypothalamus (LH) Projections to Medial Septum (MS) Modulate Ethanol-Induced Sedation in Male and Female Mice and Binge-Like Ethanol Drinking in Male Mice Only’ in the journal, Alcohol.

Sophie Bendrath, a graduate student in the Thiele Lab, published a paper showing the an orexinergic circuit from the lateral hypothalamus (LH) to the medial septum (MS) modulates ethanol-induced sedation and binge-like ethanol drinking in a sex-dependent manner. These findings were published in the journal Alcohol.

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Somatostatin signaling modulates binge drinking behavior via the central nucleus of the amygdala” in the journal, Neuropharmacology.

Dr. Stacey Robinson, a former postdoctoral fellow under in the Thiele Lab, published a paper revealing that a history of binge-like ethanol drinking causes reductions of somatostatin protein in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), and that CeA infusions of somatostatin blunt binge-like ethanol drinking in mice. These findings were published in the journal Neuropharmacology.

Caryssa Drinkuth and Eva Lorenz join the Lab!

Caryssa earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and Eva earned her undergraduate degree from Trinity University. Welcome to the lab!

Montserrat Navarro, member of the Thiele lab and part of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies (BACS), receives a component on a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol (NIAAA) (P60AA011605) to study the role of the Insula circuitry in the regulation of the aversive properties of ethanol.

Dr. Montserrat Navarro of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and member of the BCAS, and Dr. Thomas Kash of the Department of Pharmacology and Director of the BCAS, are co-principal investigators of a component on a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol Center Grant (P60AA011605; $917,500): Molecular and Circuit Pathogenesis of Alcohol Addiction. Component 5: Role of the Insula circuitry in the regulation of the aversive properties of ethanol. The total award is $917,500 over 5-years of funding.

The Thiele Lab receives an R01 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol (NIAAA) to study the role of norepinephrine (NE) neurocircuitry in the modulation of binge-like ethanol drinking and the aversive properties of ethanol in mice.

Drs. Todd Thiele and Montserrat Navarro of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience are co-principal investigators of an R01 grant that they received from NIAAA. Proposed experiments will study the role of NE circuits arising from the brainstem and innervating “anti-reward” neurocircuitry in the modulation of binge-like ethanol intake and the aversive properties of ethanol. The total award is over $1.7 million over 5-years of funding.

Honoreé Brewton successfully defends her dissertation project       

Honoreé Brewton, a graduate student Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, successfully defended her dissertation project, congratulations Dr. Brewton!

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Astrocyte expression in the extended amygdala of C57BL/6J mice is sex-dependently affected by chronic intermittent and binge-like ethanol exposure” in the journal, Alcohol.

Honoreé Brewton, a graduate student in the Thiele Lab, published a paper that assessed the impact of binge-like and escalating alcohol consumption in mice on astrocyte expression in regions of the extended amygdala. Her work showed that ethanol drinking in mice significantly reduced the expression of a maker for astrocytes in regions of the extended amygdala, and that this effect was most pronounced in male, versus female, mice. These finding are published on the journal Alcohol.

2022

Drs. Todd Thiele & Marisa Roberto (of the Scripps Research Institute) co-edited a special issue of Neuropharmacology which entails a collection of basic science and review articles on the brain neurocircuitry that modulate neurobiological responses to ethanol and other drugs of abuse.

The Thiele Lab, in collaboration with the Lysle Lab, publishes a manuscript titled “Chronic ethanol consumption exacerbates future stress-enhanced fear learning, an effect mediated by dorsal hippocampal astrocytes” in the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Gillian Barkell, a graduate student in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program published a manuscript demonstrating that withdrawal from ethanol increases stress-enhanced fear learning in rats, and that this phenotype is mediated by astrocytes in the hippocampus. These findings are published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Chemogenetic inhibition of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the central amygdala alters binge-like ethanol consumption in male mice” in the journal, Behavioral Neuroscience.

Dr. Alex Marshall, a Thiele Lab Alum that is currently an Assistant Professor at North Carolina Central University, published a paper demonstrating that chemogenetic silencing of corticotropin releasing factor neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala is associated with a significant reduction of binge-like ethanol drinking in mice. These findings are published in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

Sophie Bendrath is awarded an F31 pre-doctoral fellowship from the NIH

Sophie Bendrath, a graduate student in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, received a 3-year F31 predoctoral fellowship from that National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Her project is titled “Central Amygdala to Lateral Hypothalamus Neuropeptide Y projections as a Target in Sex-Specific Binge-Like Ethanol Consumption in Mice”. Congratulations, Sophie!

Mr. David Gonzalez, an Alum of the Thiele Lab and a recent graduate of UNC, successfully defended his Honors Thesis with Highest Honors.

Mr. David Gonzalez successfully defended his Honors Thesis with Highest Honors in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and presented his work at the Honors Poster Session (see photo below). David’s research was supported by a diversity supplement funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and was focused on studying the role of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) neurocircuitry in modulating binge-like ethanol intake. David will begin postbaccalaureate research at Emory University in the summer of 2022. Congratulations David!

David Gonzalez presenting his work at the Honors Poster Session
David Gonzalez presenting his Honors Thesis work at the Honors Poster Session.

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Lateral habenula-projecting central amygdala circuits expressing GABA and NPY Y1 receptor modulate binge-like ethanol intake in mice” in the journal, Addiction Neuroscience.

Dr. Michel Companion, a Thiele Lab Alum that received his Ph.D. in 2021, published a paper on his dissertation work demonstrating that silencing GABAergic and neuropeptide Y type-1 receptors (NPY Y1R) expressing circuits originating in the central amygdala and innervating the lateral habenula significantly blunts binge-like ethanol intake in male and female mice. These findings are published in the journal Addiction Neuroscience.

The Thiele Lab receives an R01 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) to study the role of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) neurocircuitry in the modulation of binge-like ethanol drinking in mice.

Dr. Todd Thiele of the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Kash of the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, received an R01 grant from NIAAA that will study the role of a CRF circuit arising from the central amygdala and innervating the lateral hypothalamus in the modulation of binge-like ethanol intake and neurobiological responses to ethanol. This is a 5-year award.

2021

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Activation of locus coeruleus to rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) noradrenergic pathway blunts binge-like ethanol drinking and induces aversive responses in mice” in the journal, Neuropharmacology.

Dr. Ana Paula Dornellas, a postdoctoral fellow under the direction of Drs. Montserrat Navarro and Todd Thiele, published a paper revealing that chemogenetic activation of a novel noradrenergic neuronal circuit arising from the locus coeruleus and innervating the rostromedial tegmental nucleus reduces binge-like ethanol drinking and induces unconditioned aversive behaviors in mice. These findings were published in the journal Neuropharmacology.

Annie Dankert joins the Lab!

Annie earned her degree from Providence University during her undergraduate studies.  In the Thiele Lab she will be studying how neuropeptide signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex modulates binge-like ethanol drinking in mice. Welcome to the lab, Annie!

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Lateral hypothalamus-projecting noradrenergic locus coeruleus pathway modulates binge-like ethanol drinking in male and female TH-ires-cre mice” in the journal, Neuropharmacology.

Dr. Nathan Burnham, a Thiele Lab alum, published a paper based on his Ph.D. dissertation showing a noradrenergic neuronal circuit arising from the locus coeruleus and innervating the lateral hypothalamus modulates binge-like ethanol drinking in mice. These findings were published in the journal Neuropharmacology.

Dr. Stacey Robinson is awarded a K99/R00 grant from NIAAA

Dr. Stacey Robinson, a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, received a K99/R00 pathway to independence grant from that National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to study the role of central somatostatin signaling in the modulation of binge alcohol drinking. Way to go Stacey!

Dr. Montserrat Navarro is promoted to Full Research Professor

Dr. Montserrat Navarro, a member of the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at UNC-Chapel Hill has been promoted to Full Research Professor, congratulations Montse!

Michel Companion successfully defends his dissertation project       

Michel Companion, a graduate student Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, successfully defended his dissertation project, congratulations Dr. Companion!

2020

The Thiele Lab publishes a manuscript titled “Distinct and Overlapping Patterns of Acute Ethanol-Induced C-Fos Activation in Two Inbred Replicate Lines of Mice Selected for Drinking to High Blood Ethanol Concentrations” in the journal, Brain Sciences.

Drs. Stacey L Robinson and Ana Paula S. Dornellas co-first authored a paper that assessed ethanol-induced neuronal activation in selectively bred iHDID-1 and iHDID-2 mouse lines relative to a control line of mice. While both the iHDID-1 and iHDID-2 lines show high levels of ethanol consumption, the pattern of ethanol-induced c-Fos activation differed between the lines in many cases, suggesting that the iHDID1 and the iHDID2 lines arrived at a similar behavior phenotype through divergent genetic mechanisms. These finding are published in Brain Sciences.

Honoreé Brewton successfully defends her Master’s Thesis

Ms. Honoreé Brewton successfully defended her Master’s Thesis, congratulations Honoreé! Her novel work focused on the effects of binge-like and chronic intermittent ethanol intake on astrocytes in a brain region implicated in modulating ethanol intake, the bed nucleus of the stria terminals. Honoreé is now ready to move on to her dissertation project.

The Thiele Lab published two review articles, one on the melanocortin system as a potential target for treating alcohol use disorders (in Brain Research) and the second on the role of the neuropeptide, somatostatin, in modulating substance abuse and affective disorders (in Neuropharmacology).

Dr. Jose Manual Lerma-Cabrera was lead author of a recent review article that highlighted evidence for the melanocortin neuropeptide system as a promising target for treating alcohol use disorders, which was published in Brain Research. Additionally, Dr. Stacey Robinson was lead author of a review article published in Neuropharmacology that highlighted the role of the neuropeptide, somatostatin, in modulating affective disorders, and made a case for somatostatin as a potential candidate for modulating neurobiological responses to alcohol.

2019

Drs. Montserrat Navarro and Todd Thiele are co-authors on a clinical trial paper that assessed a potential novel treatment to curb problematic binge drinking in humans, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism

Drs. Montserrat Navarro and Todd Thiele co-authored a clinical trial paper describing a study that assessed the efficacy of novel treatment for binge drinking in humans, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism. This open-label study, based on their pre-clinical studies, provides evidence that combined therapy with naltrexone and bupropion may help reduce binge drinking in humans, a novel approach to treating alcohol use disorders.

Sophie Bendrath joins the Lab!

Sophie earned her degree from Rutgers University during her undergraduate studies.  She is currently studying how certain neuropeptides, particularly in the limbic system, can modulate binge drinking behavior. Welcome to the team, Sophie!

Stacey Robinson publishes in Brain Sciences

Dr. Stacey Robinson, a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program,  is lead author on a paper recently published in Brain Sciences. Her work provides novel evidence that corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) via CRF type 1 and type 2 receptors modulates binge like ethanol intake in mice.

Nathan Burnham successfully defends his Ph.D. dissertation

Dr. Nathan Burnham successfully defended his dissertation proposal and has earned his Ph.D., outstanding work Nathan! His novel research shows that a norepinephrine neurocircuit from the locus coeruleus to the lateral hypothalamus modulates binge alcohol drinking and food intake in mice. Nathan will next begin postdoctoral training at North Carolina State University in the lab of Dr. Leslie Sombers.

Thiele Lab Coordinator, Rhiannon Thomas, is awarded a 2019 Psychology & Neuroscience Staff Excellence Award

Ms. Rhiannon Thomas, the Lab Coordinator in the Thiele laboratory, received a 2019 Psychology & Neuroscience Staff Excellence Award. This award recognizes superb customer service, initiative, teamwork, and overall excellence. Rhiannon received $1,000, a plaque recognizing her achievement, and her name will be displayed along with other award winners from years past in the Davie Hall lobby. Congratulations Rhiannon!

Michel Companion is awarded an F31 pre-doctoral fellowship

Mr. Michel Companion, a graduate student in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program,  received a two-year F31 predoctoral fellowship from that National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to study the role of a neuropeptide Y (NPY) type-1 receptor-expressing neuronal circuit from the central amygdala to the lateral habenula in the modulation of binge alcohol drinking. Excellent work Michel!

The lab welcomes two new postdoctoral fellows

Drs. Ana Paula Segantine Dornellas Loper and Christa Houck have joined the lab. Dr. Ana Paula Segantine Dornellas Loper received her Ph.D. at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo in Brazil, and Dr. Christa Houck received her Ph.D. from Indiana University—Purdue University at Indianapolis. Welcome to the team!

Stacey Robinson publishes in Neuropsychopharmacology

Dr. Stacey Robinson, a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program,  is lead author on a paper recently published in Neuropsychopharmacology. Her work provides novel evidence the neuropeptide Y (NPY) signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and in an NPY type-1 receptor-expression circuit form the mPFC to the basolateral amygdala, modulate binge alcohol drinking.

Montserrat Navarro publishes in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Dr. Montserrat Navarro, an Associate Research Professor in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, is the lead author on a paper recently published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Her work provides the first proof-of-concept work in animal models suggesting that the drug, bupropion, may have therapeutic value for treating alcohol use disorder, particularly problematic binge drinking. This work is part of a collaboration that is currently assessing the ability of bupropion to curb binge drinking in a clinical trial experiment with humans.

2018

Michel Companion successfully defends his master’s thesis

Mr. Michel Companion successfully defended his master’s thesis, great job Michel! His work showed that silencing a GABAergic circuit originating in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and innervating the ventral tegmental area protects against binge alcohol drinking. This work was recently published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.

Nathan Burnham publishes in Neuroscience

Mr. Nathan Burnham, a graduate student in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, is lead author on a paper published in Neuroscience. Nathan’s study identifies that brain regions that are activated in mice that are binge drinking alcohol and provides a valuable roadmap for futures studies that will investigate the neurocircuitry that modulates binge drinking.

Honoreé Brewton receives a Dashiell Travel Award

Ms. Honoreé Brewton, a graduate student in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program, received a Dashiell Research Fund Travel Award, congratulations Honoree!