Woodward Laboratory

Research in the Woodward lab focuses on identifying adaptations in neuronal and non-neuronal processes and circuits following repeated exposures to drugs of abuse including alcohol.  We use a combination of electrophysiological, behavioral, imaging, and genetic techniques to accomplish the aims of this research.

Research:

Alcohol and NMDARs

This work is focused on understanding the interactions of ethanol with NMDA receptors-ionotropic glutamate receptors involved in excitatory synaptic transmission. We use mutagenesis, electrophysiology and behavior to study how altering the ethanol sensitivity of NMDA receptors changes the brain's response to alcohol.

Alcohol and the Cortico-Amygdalar-Striatal Circuitry

This project is a component of our NIAAA P50 Alcohol Center. A combination of in vivo ethanol exposure, slice electrophysiology, imaging and behavioral approaches are used to define the actions of ethanol on neurons and astrocytes located in the orbitofrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala and dorsal striatum.

Alcohol and the Cerebellum

These studies are focused on defining how non-motor areas of the posterior cerebellum are involved in voluntary ethanol drinking. We use chemogenetics, homecage and operant ethanol administration and whole-brain imaging to determine the role of cerebellar circuitry in drinking.

Collaborative Neuroscience Research

We collaborate with Dr. Patrick Mulholland and Dr. Jennifer Rinker on one of eight projects organized within the Integrated Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism consortium (INIA-Stress). In this study, we examine the effects of stress and long-term drinking on neuronal gene and protein expression and function in mice and non-human primates.

Team:

Director

John J. Woodward, Ph.D.
Professor

Staff and Students

Ahmad Miles
Research Specialist I

Sudarat Roberts (Nimitvilai), Ph.D.
Postdoctoral fellow

Paula Zamudio, Ph.D.
Research Asst. Professor

 

Woodward Laboratory Recent Publications (2020-current)

O’Herron P, Summers PM, Shih AY, Kara P and Woodward JJ. In vivo two-photon imaging of neuronal and vascular responses in mice chronically exposed to ethanol. Alcohol 85:41-47. 2020. ePub Dec 2019. PMCID: PMC7237312.

Zamudio PA, Smothers TC, Homanics GE, Woodward JJ. Knock-in Mice Expressing an Ethanol-Resistant GluN2A NMDA Receptor Subunit Show Altered Responses to Ethanol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2020 44:479-491. PMCID: PMC7018579.

O'Herron P, Levy M, Woodward JJ, Kara P. An Unexpected Dependence of Cortical Depth in Shaping Neural Responsiveness and Selectivity in Mouse Visual Cortex. eNeuro. 2020; 7(2):ENEURO.0497-19.2020. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0497-19.2020; PMCID: PMC7092962.

Cannady R, Nimitvilai-Roberts S, Jennings SD, Woodward JJ, Mulholland PJ. Distinct Region- and Time-Dependent Functional Cortical Adaptations in C57BL/6J Mice after Short and Prolonged Alcohol Drinking. eNeuro. 2020 Jun 19;7(3):ENEURO.0077-20.2020. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0077-20.2020. PMCID: PMC7307629

Braunscheidel KM, Wayman WN, Okas MP, Woodward JJ. Self-Administration of Toluene Vapor in Rats. Front. Neurosci. 2020 Aug 18;14:880. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00880. eCollection 2020. PMCID: PMC7461949.

Samantaray S, Knaryan VH, M Del Re A, Woodward JJ, Shields DC, Azuma M, Inoue J, Ray SK, Banik NL. Cell-Permeable Calpain Inhibitor SJA6017 Provides Functional Protection to Spinal Motoneurons Exposed to MPP. Neurotox Res. 2020 Oct;38(3):640-649. doi: 10.1007/s12640-020-00264-3. Epub 2020 Aug 6. PMCID: PMC945343.

Zamudio PA, Gioia DA, Lopez M, Homanics GE, Woodward JJ. The escalation in ethanol consumption following chronic intermittent ethanol exposure is blunted in mice expressing ethanol-resistant GluN1 or GluN2A NMDA receptor subunits. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021. 238(1):271-279. PMCID: PMC7796987.

Cannady R, Nguyen T, Padula AE, Rinker JA, Lopez MF, Becker HC, Woodward JJ, Mulholland PJ. Interaction of chronic intermittent ethanol and repeated stress on structural and functional plasticity in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex. Neuropharmacology. 2020 Nov 9;182:108396. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108396. Online ahead of print. PMCID: PMC7942177.

Gioia DA, Woodward JJ. Altered Activity of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Neurons in Mice following Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure. eNeuro. 2021. 8(2):ENEURO.0503-20.2021. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0503-20.2021. PMCID PMC7932186.

Avchalumov Y, Piña-Crespo JC, Woodward JJ, Mandyam CD. Acute Ethanol Exposure Enhances Synaptic Plasticity in the Dorsal Striatum in Adult Male and Female Rats. Brain Plast. 2020 6(1):113-122. doi: 10.3233/BPL-190097. PMCID: PMC7903017.

Avchalumov Y, Oliver RJ, Trenet W, Heyer Osorno RE, Sibley BD, Purohit DC,Contet C, Roberto M, Woodward JJ, Mandyam CD. Chronic ethanol exposure differentially alters neuronal function in the medial prefrontal cortex and dentate gyrus. Neuropharmacology. 2021 185:108438. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108438. Epub 2020 Dec 15. PMCID: PMC7927349.

Nimitvilai-Roberts S, Gioia D, Zamudio PA and Woodward JJ. 2021. Ethanol inhibition of lateral orbitofrontal cortex neuron excitability is mediated via dopamine D1/D5 receptor-induced release of astrocytic glycine. Neuropharmacology 2021 May 7;192:108600.doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108600. PMCID: PMC8217293.

Braunscheidel KM, Okas MP, Floresco SB and Woodward JJ. 2021. Cannabinoid receptor type 1 antagonists alter aspects of risk/reward decision making independent of toluene-mediated effects. Psychopharmacology 2021 Jul 22. doi: 10.1007/s00213-021-05914-8. Online ahead of print. PMCID: PMC9885490.

Nentwig TB, Vaughan DT, Braunscheidel KM, Browning BD, Woodward JJ, Chandler LJ. The lateral habenula is not required for ethanol dependence-induced escalation of drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2022 Jun 18. doi: 10.1038/s41386-022-01357-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35717465. PMCID: PMC9556754.

Nimitvilai-Roberts S, Woodward JJ. The ethanol inhibition of basolateral amygdala neuron spiking is mediated by a γ-aminobutyric acid type A-mediated tonic current. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2022 Aug 1. doi: 10.1111/acer.14918. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35915568. PMCID: PMC9509443.

Griffin, WC, Lopez MF, Woodward JJ, Becker HC. 2023. Alcohol dependence and the ventral hippocampal influence on alcohol drinking in male mice. Alcohol 106:44-54. PMCID: PMC9868110.

Woodward, J.J., Braunscheidel, K.M. 2023. The effects of the inhalant toluene on cognitive function and behavioral flexibility: A review of recent findings. Addiction Neuroscience. doi: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100059. Epub 2022 Dec 22. PMCID: PMC9928149.

Nimitvilai-Roberts S, Gioia D, Lopez MF, Glaser CM, Woodward JJ. Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure differentially alters the excitability of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala that project to the dorsal striatum. Neuropharmacology. 2023 Feb 13; 228:109463. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109463. Epub ahead of print. PMCID: PMC10006395.

Glover EJ, Starr EM, Gascon A, Clayton-Stiglbauer K, Amegashie CL, Selchick AH, Vaughan DT, Wayman WN, Woodward JJ, Chandler LJ. 2023. Involvement of cortical input to the rostromedial tegmental nucleus in aversion to foot shock. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2023 May 23. doi: 10.1038/s41386-023-01612-5. PMCID: PMC10425416.

Zamudio PA, Gioia D, Woodward JJ. 2023. Chemogenetic perturbation of the posterior but not anterior cerebellum reduces voluntary ethanol consumption. eNeuro. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0037-23.2023. PMID: 37679043; PMCID: PMC10512884.

Rinker JA, Hoffman M, Knapp J, Wukitsch TJ, Kutlu MG, Calipari ES, McMahan CS, Baker GH, Woodward JJ, Mulholland PJ. 2023. Prelimbic neuron calcium activity predicts perceived hedonic value across drinking solutions and ethanol dependent states in mice. bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.04.53563.

Okas M, Kastner A, Gioia D, Woodward JJ. 2023. A brief exposure to toluene vapor alters the intrinsic excitability of D2 medium spiny neurons in the rat ventral striatum. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2023 Aug 3;17:1235866, doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1235866. PMCID: PMC10434816.

Mulholland PJ, Berto S, Wilmarth PA, McMahan C, Ball LE, Woodward JJ. Adaptor protein complex 2 in the orbitofrontal cortex predicts alcohol use disorder. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Sep 7. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02236-3. Epub ahead of print. PMCID: PMC10918038.

Braunscheidel K, Okas M, Woodward J.J. 2024. Toluene alters the intrinsic excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission of basolateral amygdala neurons. Frontiers in Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1366216. PMCID: PMC11002899.

For more information on the work we do in our lab, please contact Dr. Woodward

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