Lori KnackstedtProf. Lori Knackstedt has a long-standing interest in studying the pathological changes in brain and behavior which occur in response to addictive drugs. For the past nine years, her work has focused on identifying neuroadaptations in the glutamate nurotransmitter system produced by chronic self-administration of addictive drugs such as nicotine, alcohol and cocaine. She then target these neuroadaptations with translational compounds to reduce drug-seeking. To that end, her research involves assessing brain changes in reward circuitry following self- administration of addictive drugs using western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and microdialysis.

Prof. Knackstedt began her independent research career as a Research Assistant Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2009. In Fall 2012, she began a tenure-track position in the Psychology Department at UF, where she now run the Neurobiology of Addiction Research Lab. She supervises three graduate students, one post-doctoral fellow and 7 undergraduates. Read More Read Less