Montserrat Navarro, Ph.D.

Research Professor

Office | Davie Hall, CB# 3270
Email | mthiele@email.unc.edu

Biography:

B.S. Psychology, University of Almería (Spain)
M.S. Neuroscience, International University of Andalucía (Spain)
M.S. Psychology, University of Almería (Spain)
PhD. Psychology, University of Almeria (Spain)

Research Professor

My research focuses on identifying the brain mechanisms that modulate neurobiological responses to alcohol. I am interested in understanding how brain neurocircuitry changes after ethanol exposure and how these changes can contribute to the transition from alcohol used to alcohol abuse. I am particularly interested in the roles of neuropeptides on ethanol consumption and how these neuropeptides can be affected by ethanol exposure. Another research approach is to identify the neural mechanisms that modulate the aversive reaction to ethanol and their role in modulating ethanol consumption, with special interest in the brainstem.

My research involves a diverse set of techniques including drinking in the dark (DID) procedures to model binge drinking in mice, operant self-administration procedures, measures of anxiety-like behavior, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western Blotting, Cre-inducible chemogenetic tools, Cre-Flox technology and site-direct brain cannulation and viral-vector infusions.

Funding:

2023-2028        Co-Principal Investigator, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Center Grant (R01-AA025809): The role of norepinephrine in binge alcohol drinking and taste aversion.

2023-2028        Co-investigator, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Research Grant (4th renewal of R01-AA013573 and converted to MERIT Award R37-AA013573): The Role of Neuropeptide Y in Ethanol Intake and Sensitivity.

2022-2027        Co-Principal investigator, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Center Grant (P60AA011605): Molecular and Circuit Pathogenesis of Alcohol Addiction. Component 5: Role of the Insula circuitry in the regulation of the aversive properties of ethanol.

For more information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1vEj6oTviaj9GD/bibliography/public/