How the brain links drug use to specific environments
Official title: Neural circuit mechanisms of drug-context associations in the hippocampus
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-10884306 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a part of the brain that helps with learning and memory connects drug use to the places where people use drugs, and it hopes to find ways to help people break those connections and reduce cravings, which could lead to better treatments for addiction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $151,297 |
| NIH project number | 5K01DA058743-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10884306 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for benefiting from this research would be individuals struggling with substance use disorders, particularly those who experience relapse triggered by specific environments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have a history of substance use or those whose addiction is not influenced by environmental cues may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory, processes associations between drug use and the environments where drugs are consumed. By using advanced genetic and imaging techniques, the study aims to identify the specific neural circuits involved in these associations and explore whether it is possible to reverse these drug-context memories through targeted interventions. The research will utilize animal models to better understand the underlying mechanisms of addiction and relapse triggered by environmental cues. This could lead to new strategies for treating substance use disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to innovative treatments that help individuals overcome addiction by disrupting harmful drug-context associations.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in understanding the neural mechanisms of addiction, but this specific approach targeting drug-context associations is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sun, Yanjun — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Sun, Yanjun
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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.