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Ralph DiLeone, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience
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Additional Titles

Deputy Director, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Psychiatry

About

Titles

Professor of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience

Deputy Director, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Psychiatry

Appointments

Education & Training

PhD
Stanford University, Developmental Biology (1998)
BA
Skidmore College, Biology-Chemsitry (1992)

Research

Overview

Broadly, our research seeks to define the molecular and neural basis of behavior. Most of the work focused on neurocircuitry underlying responses to natural rewards (i.e. food) as well as drugs of abuse. We investigate the regulation and integration of these circuits with the longer term goal of understanding their relevance in disease, as well as the role that these circuits played in evolution. It is notable that the motivation to ingest food, though highly adaptive during most of our natural history, has proven to be incompatible with the current state of excess food supply. Similar circuits likely underlie our motivation for physical activity, including exercise. Understanding the motivational systems that control feeding and activity will give us insight into the molecular mechanisms of a complex behavior, and will ultimately serve to better define the etiology of obesity and eating disorders.

Our current translational studies on opioid use disorder are focused at evaluating specific therapeutics for their mechanisms as well as their efficacy in animal models of dependence and drug seeking.


Our experiments and progress depend upon our ability to effectively monitor and manipulate neurons within the adult brain. We are active in using viral and transgenic techniques for conditional genetic analysis of neural function and behavior. The lab also leverages conditional viral approaches to evaluate activity (via fiber photometry) or to manipulate (via optogenetics) specific circuits and neuronal types during behavior.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Animal Nutrition Sciences; Ethology; Exercise; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Natural History; Neurobiology; Obesity; Psychiatry; Substance Abuse Detection

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Ralph DiLeone's published research.

Publications

Featured Publications

2024

2023

2019

2018

2016

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • activity

    Society for Neuroscience

Get In Touch

Contacts

Academic Office Number
Office Fax Number
Mailing Address

Psychiatry

Ribicoff Research Facilities, 34 Park St, CMHC

New Haven, CT 06519

United States

Locations

  • Connecticut Mental Health Center

    Academic Office

    34 Park Street, Ste W305

    New Haven, CT 06519