Our laboratory is principally interested in two inter-related topics; the neurobiology of learning & memory and the biological basis of several neurological/psychological disorders. Research projects in our laboratory focus on the cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms involved in various types of associative/spatial learning with particular emphasis on glutamate, GABA, and several peptides. Additional research projects focus on animal models of schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and mood disorders. Our interest in these disorders is in part that some of the neurological systems that may be responsible for the disorders play a prominent and sometimes necessary role in learning and memory. Further, several of the clinical characteristics of these disorders involve disruption of learning and memory performance. In several lines of research within the laboratory we are pursuing possible changes in neuronal systems in these disorders to not only investigate the cause of the disorder but how they relate to basic cellular activity that underlies learning. The investigation of these disorders incorporates identifying potential mechanisms responsible for the pathology as well as novel therapeutic targets. The laboratory utilizes psychopharmacological, behavioral genetic, and molecular biology techniques to address experimental questions.