Thomas J. Gould

• Addiction
• Learning & Memory
• Genetics
• Neuroscience

The goal of Thomas Gould's research is to use genetic, pharmacological, behavioral, and molecular biological techniques to study the neurobiology of learning and memory and the effects of addiction on it. Current research interests focus on identifying the cellular and molecular events that underlie the effects of nicotine on learning and memory with a specific emphasis on how those effects change with the transition to addiction and the impact of nicotine exposure during adolescence on future neural function and mental health.

Learning-related changes in the strength of neuronal connections in the brain not only underlie memory formation and storage but are also affected by neurological and mental disorders that include addiction. The goal of our research is to use genetic, pharmacological, behavioral, and molecular biological techniques to study the neurobiology of learning and memory and the effects of addiction on it. Current research interests focus on identifying the cellular and molecular events that underlie the effects of nicotine on learning and memory with a specific emphasis on how those effects change as drug administration transitions from acute to chronic drug use and how adolescence may change sensitivity to these effects of nicotine.

Neurobiological Investigation of Learning and Addiction Web Pages