Jie (Bridget) Wu

Research Description: The mesolimbic system is not only essential for learning and motivation-associated behaviors, but it is also affected and remodeled by addictive drugs. GABA neurons in the VTA provide local inhibition of dopamine neurons. In our lab, we use a combination of electrophysiology, pharmacogenetic and optogenetic manipulations to study how VTA GABA neurons regulate reward and aversion-related learning.