How alcohol changes the brain and leads to addiction
Molecular and Circuit Pathogenesis of Alcohol Use Disorders
Researchers at UNC are looking at how alcohol alters brain cells and circuits in people with alcohol use disorder to help find better ways to prevent and treat harmful drinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238065 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This UNC Alcohol Research Center brings together multiple labs to examine molecular signals and neural circuits changed by alcohol using animal models, lab tests, and studies that include people. Teams compare biological changes to drinking behaviors and symptoms to connect cell- and circuit-level damage with addiction. The center provides shared resources, leadership, and collaborative projects including brain imaging, tissue-based analyses, and behavioral work. By combining animal and human data, they aim to identify biological targets that could lead to new treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with alcohol use disorder (including eligible adolescents and adults) who can travel to UNC Chapel Hill and are willing to take part in brain scans, sample donation, or behavioral research may be eligible.
Not a fit: Those needing immediate clinical care for withdrawal, people who cannot travel to Chapel Hill, or individuals whose drinking does not meet clinical AUD criteria are unlikely to get direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new medicines or therapies that reduce craving and risky drinking by targeting damaged brain circuits.
How similar studies have performed: Related research has identified brain pathways involved in alcohol problems and suggested possible targets, but translating these findings into effective new treatments has been limited so far.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kash, Thomas L. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Kash, Thomas L.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.