About Us
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.
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.
Investigators
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Dr. Davis is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Yale Department of Psychiatry. In July 2018 she completed a T32 funded postdoctoral fellowship (Yale Neuroimaging Sciences Training Program) under the mentorship of Dr. Irina Esterlis, and transitioned to faculty status after obtaining an NIMH funded K08 award. Her research interests center on use of molecular neuroimaging methods to enhance understanding of the relationship between suicidal behavior and stress-related psychopathology. Under her K08 award, she is investigating the relationship between availability of mGluR5 (a mostly postsynaptic glutamate receptor involved in the regulation of emotion and pain experience), borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptom presentation, and suicidal behavior. Dr. Davis is also completing a study examining in vivo kappa opioid receptor availability in BPD, and its relationship to history of suicidal behavior. Ultimately, she hopes to build of this study and similar work to craft independent lines of research investigating molecular mechanisms subserving stress-related pathology (e.g., BPD, PTSD, eating disordered behavior) and suicidal behavior in service of novel, targeted treatment developmentAssistant Professor of Psychiatry
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.Mood Disorders
Professor of Psychiatry; Director, Molecular Imaging Program, NCPTSD, VA; Director, Mood, Anxiety, and Cognitive Sciences Division
Irina Esterlis is a clinical neuropsychologist and neuroreceptor imager with extensive training in the application of SPECT and PET to the study of mental illness and comorbid disorders. Dr. Esterlis has developed two novel paradigms to interrogate both the acetylcholine and glutamatergic systems in vivo in human, and these are being currently applied to the study of mood and addiction disorders. She has received awards from Society of Nuclear Medicine, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 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, as well as the effects of depression on synaptic aging. Dr. Esterlis is also initiating new work in the study of neurotransmitter alterations in adolescent depression and suicidality.Smoking
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
Dr. Cosgrove uses positron emission tomography (PET) to gain insights into the brains of people after they’ve stopped using alcohol and drugs. Trained as a clinical psychologist who worked with individuals managing alcohol and drug addiction, Dr. Cosgrove transitioned to conducting research in order to find more effective ways of helping patients recover from addiction and avoid relapse. Her laboratory develops and uses creative PET imaging paradigms to track changes in critical neurochemicals during the recovery from addiction.