Howard L. Fields, MD, PhD

Director of Human Clinical Research, Gallo Center
Professor of Neurology and Physiology, UCSF
Director, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction
Phone: (510) 985-3971
Email: hlf@gallo.ucsf.edu

Research

I have a major interest in motivational systems. Pain and pleasure are two important motivational forces that shape our behavior and help us to make informed decisions. I use an experimental approach in animals to analyze the circuits in the brain that mediate pain and reward. My interest in addiction is a natural outgrowth of my research on analgesic drugs, many of which are addicting. The studies of pain and reward are not as disparate as they might first appear. In fact, the relief of pain and the production of pleasure are closely related at both the subjective and neural circuit level. Both have strong influences upon, and are influenced by, learning. Current research in my laboratory utilizes in vivo and in vitro electrophysiology, pharmacology, and behavioral techniques. We are investigating the neural mechanisms underlying the acquisition and expression of reward-seeking and aversive behaviors.

Alcoholism: Vice or Disease? A Conversation with Howard Fields

Lab Members

Daicia Allen, Staff Research Associate, dallen@gallo.ucsf.edu
Fred Ambroggi, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, fambroggi@gallo.ucsf.edu
Allison Coker, Graduate Student, acoker@gallo.ucsf.edu
Peter Fong, Staff Research Associate, pfong@gallo.ucsf.edu
Gregory Hjelmstad, PhD, Associate Investigator, gregh@gallo.ucsf.edu
Elyssa Margolis, PhD, Assistant Research Scientist, elyssam@gallo.ucsf.edu
Jennifer Mitchell, PhD, Project Director, Clinical Studies, jmitchell@gallo.ucsf.edu
Naomi Odean, Staff Research Associate, nodean@gallo.ucsf.edu
Yan-Fang Xia, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, yxia@gallo.ucsf.edu

Publications

Howard Fields' publications