Linda Wilbrecht, PhD
Assistant Professor in Residence
of Neurology, UCSF
Email: lwilbrecht(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
http://www.wilbrecht.org/
Research
Adolescence typically marks a major transition to
independence, which brings with it the need to make
important decisions, such as where to forage, where to
sleep, and when and where to reproduce. It also often
requires a period of exploration, with a high tolerance
for risk, that is eventually followed by the formation
of more stable adult habits. In humans, adolescence
also marks a critical time for the development of
addictions. Anatomical studies have shown that the
mammalian brain undergoes radical changes during
adolescence, particularly in the frontal lobe, which
integrates sensory and memory systems and coordinates
flexible decision-making. The Wilbrecht lab is focused
on understanding the adolescent transition at the
synaptic, circuit, and behavioral level. In particular,
they want to understand how adolescents' experiences
with drugs of abuse and natural reinforcers, such as
food, alter neural circuitry and decision-making over
their lifespans, and how neural plasticity can be
harnessed to reverse addiction. They hope to understand
how changes in neural circuits can bias decision-making
to facilitate healthy adult habits, or create
inflexible addictive behavior.
Lab Members
Natalia Caporale, PhD,
Postdoctoral Fellow, ncaporale(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
Carolyn Johnson, Graduate Student, cjohnson(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
Moses Lee, Graduate Student, mlee(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
F. Javier Muñoz-Cuevas, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, fmunozcuevas(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
Denise Niell, PhD, Staff Scientist, dpiscopo(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
Lung-Hao Tai, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, ltai(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
Angela Vandenberg, Graduate Student, avandenberg(at)gallo.ucsf.edu
Publications
Johnson C and Wilbrecht L. 2011. Juvenile mice show
greater flexibility in multiple choice reversal
learning than adults. Dev Cognitive Neurosci.
doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071. Article (PDF)
Linda Wilbrecht's publications
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