Julia Wu L&S Biological Sciences
Heterogeneous functions of striatal acetylcholine in reward-seeking
My project aims to investigate neural circuits in the mammalian midbrain brain that involve the crucial neurotransmitters dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh). These systems are renowned for facilitating learning and motivation and are implicated in various psychiatric disorders including addiction. The role of DA in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in encoding reward value has long been a focus of research. The role of ACh is less well defined, though previous studies note pauses in ACh signaling during DA release. Recently, studies have indicated NAc subregional variability of DA and ACh interplay. How ACh functions across NAc subregions remains unclear. My research seeks to fill this knowledge gap by examining subregional NAc ACh and DA interactions during reward processing. The outcomes of this research could be pivotal in developing treatments for conditions like depression, addiction, and other reward-related disorders by targeting ACh neurons and receptors.
Message To Sponsor
I am deeply grateful to the donors for enabling me to conduct my experiment and delve into neuroscience through their generous grant. This research experience has not only taught me how to design and execute an animal behavior experiment but also how to think critically and analyze results like a scientist. The challenges and unexpected outcomes I encountered highlighted that science is often more complex than it appears in textbooks. Yet, these difficulties will make success all the more memorable and meaningful, and I eagerly anticipate the sweet reward of my results in the near future.