Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center       At the University of California, San Francisco
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RESEARCH & FACULTY
Faculty (Principal Investigators)
Kevin Bender
Howard Fields
Patricia Janak
Andrew Kayser
Robert O. Messing
Dorit Ron
Jennifer Whistler
Linda Wilbrecht
Staff Research Investigators/
Associate Investigators
Frederic Ambroggi
Gregory O. Hjelmstad
Frederic "Woody" Hopf
Elyssa Margolis
Jun Wang
Affiliated Investigators
Steven L. Batki
Joshua Woolley
Core Facilities
Research Faculty
Patricia Janak

Patricia Janak, PhD

Professor of Neurology, UCSF
Howard J. Weinberger, MD, Endowed Chair in Addiction Research, UCSF
Member, Graduate Program in Neuroscience
Member, Program in Biological Sciences
Member, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction
Phone: (510) 985-3880
Email: pjanak@gallo.ucsf.edu


Research

Addiction is a behavioral phenomenon that depends critically upon experience with the drug, and upon the modulation of drug-related behavior by conditioning. Therefore, to understand the underlying neural basis for alcohol and drug addiction, we need to investigate neuronal function in real-time, within animal models of addictive behavior. Our laboratory uses extracellular ensemble neurophysiological recording to measure the activity of neurons in awake-behaving rodents during the operant self-administration of alcohol, other drugs of abuse, and natural rewards. These studies examine the contribution of neural activity patterns within the brain reward circuitry to alcohol and drug-seeking behavior. We also use behavioral pharmacological techniques to understand the contribution of specific neurochemical and neuroanatomical systems to the effects of alcohol on behavior. We are especially interested in the mechanisms that underlie the ability of conditioned cues and contexts to drive reward-seeking behavior.


Lab Members

Patricia Janak's lab members

Josiah Boivin, Graduate Student, jboivin@gallo.ucsf.edu
Costanza Burattini, Visiting Scholar, cburattini@gallo.ucsf.edu
Zack Chadick, Postdoctoral Fellow, jchadick@gallo.ucsf.edu
Sarah Fischbach, Graduate Student, sfischbach@gallo.ucsf.edu
Michael Gill, Senior Research Scientist, mgill@gallo.ucsf.edu
Ronald Keiflin, Postdoctoral Fellow, rkeiflin@gallo.ucsf.edu
Joung-Hun Kim, Visiting Scholar, jhkim@gallo.ucsf.edu
Joo Han Lee, Visiting Scholar, jhlee@gallo.ucsf.edu
Virginia Long, Postdoctoral Fellow, vlong@gallo.ucsf.edu
Alexandra Loucks, Graduate Student, aloucks@gallo.ucsf.edu
Pierre-Marie Martin, Visiting Scholar, pmartin@gallo.ucsf.edu
Zayra Millan, Postdoctoral Fellow, emillan@gallo.ucsf.edu
Hong Nie, Associate Research Scientist, hongn@gallo.ucsf.edu
Rebecca Reese, Staff Research Associate, rreese@gallo.ucsf.edu
Susan Sangha, Postdoctoral Fellow, ssangha@gallo.ucsf.edu
Elizabeth Steinberg, Graduate Student, esteinberg@gallo.ucsf.edu
Kate Vitale, Graduate Student, kvitale@gallo.ucsf.edu
Mimi Zou, Staff Research Associate, mzou@gallo.ucsf.edu

Publications

Patricia Janak's publications

CONTACT US
5858 Horton Street, Suite 200
Emeryville, CA 94608
Phone: (510) 985-3109

Clinical Studies l Webmail