Our research explores the neurobiological basis of addiction (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana) and mood/anxiety disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, and PTSD). We use state-of-the- art brain imaging technologies Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to investigate certain receptors in the brain and neural mechanisms that are thought to underlie these disorders.
Taking part in our research will improve our understanding of addiction and mood disorders so that they can be treated more effectively in the future.
Participate in Our Research
We are continuously recruiting volunteers to participate in our imaging studies. Each study has different requirements. We are looking for people with depression, bipolar disorder and PTSD. We are also recruiting individuals who smoke tobacco, use alcohol or marijuana, or use e-cigarettes/vape. We also recruit individuals who are healthy to act as a comparison group. Click here for more information on our criteria.
Professor of Psychiatry; Director, Mood, Anxiety, and Cognitive Sciences Division; Director, Molecular Imaging Program, NCPTSD, VA
Irina Esterlis is a clinical neuropsychologist and neuroreceptor imager with extensive training in the application of SPECT and PET to the study of mood, trauma, suicide, and comorbid disorders. Dr. Esterlis has developed two novel paradigms to interrogate both the acetylcholine and glutamatergic systems in vivo in human. Her lab was also the first to show ketamine-induced changes in human volunteers in vivo. She has received awards from Society of Nuclear Medicine, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Society for Biological Psychiatry, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Esterlis' current work includes the study of the metabotropic glutamatergic receptor involvement in bipolar depression and suicide, and synaptic alterations associated with depression, aging, and suicidality. The lab has expanded to add in vivo preclinical work to elucidate...
Professor of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging; Co-Director of the T32 Translational Alcohol Research Program, Psychiatry and Public Health
Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of cause of disease,disability and death in the US. It also causes a huge socioeconomic burden. Tobacco contains the addictive drug nicotine. We aim to further understand the effects of smoking on the brain using PET imaging. We are also interested in the effects of e-cigarettes on the brain, which are largely unknown. Our goal is to improve our understanding of tobacco smoking addiction so that more effective treatment and preventative strategies can be developed.
Dr. Davis is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, co-appointed in the Department of Psychology. As an emergent expert in trauma-and-stressor related conditions, her work seeks to identify neurobiological mechanisms underlying behavioral responses related to PTSD, borderline personality disorder and other forms of trauma related psychopathology (e.g. eating disorders, substance use), and their link to suicide behaviors and functional impairment. Specifically, using PET imaging and fMRI Dr. Davis aims to explore novel biomarkers and potential treatment targets with the potential to reduce risk in survivors of trauma. Her current K08, R21 and R01 grants (funded my NIMH) and Young Investigator grant from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) investigate the role of endogenous glutamate and opioid systems on 1)...
Dr. Zakiniaeiz’s work broadly focuses on investigating the neural and molecular circuitry underlying several types of addictions and at-risk populations, such as alcohol use disorder, tobacco smoking, prenatally cocaine-exposed adolescents, and gambling disorder, using two neuroimaging techniques – functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Her work also emphasizes the importance of sex as a biological variable in the study of addiction.