Mapping brain circuits to understand opioid addiction.
Official title: Integrated single cell and spatial mapping of habenula circuitry to identify projection-specific molecular pathways associated with opioid exposure.
Funded at Lieber Institute, INC. · NIH-10877593 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how long-term use of opioids changes certain brain areas that help us feel rewards, especially in a part called the habenula, and it aims to find out how these changes might be similar in both rodents and humans to help us better understand addiction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lieber Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $284,040 |
| NIH project number | 1R21DA060407-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10877593 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with a history of opioid use disorder or those affected by substance use disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not been exposed to opioids or do not have substance use disorders may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how chronic opioid exposure affects specific brain circuits, particularly focusing on the habenula, a key area involved in reward processing. By using advanced techniques to analyze individual cells and their spatial organization, the study aims to uncover molecular changes that occur in the habenula of rodents after opioid use. The findings will also be compared with human brain data to identify common pathways related to opioid addiction. This approach could lead to a better understanding of the biological mechanisms behind substance use disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for treating opioid addiction.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in understanding addiction through similar molecular mapping techniques, indicating potential for success in this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Lieber Institute, INC.
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maynard, Kristen Rose — Lieber Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Maynard, Kristen Rose
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Single-cell map of mood circuits in major depressive disorder
Researchers will map the tiny brain cells in mood-control areas to understand how genes and cell types relate to depression, with attention to ancestry and sex.
-
Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and its effects on placenta and child development
This grant studies how COVID-19 infection during pregnancy might change the placenta and influence a child’s brain development, especially in kids who may be at higher genetic risk for ADHD/ASD.
-
Understanding schizophrenia risk using patient-derived neurons and 3D brain models
This project tests how common genetic risk factors relate to brain cell behavior and clinical symptoms in people with schizophrenia.
-
Understanding PTSD and depression from donated postmortem brain tissue with molecular analyses
This project looks at molecular differences in brains donated by people who had PTSD, major depression, or no psychiatric disorder to find biological clues about why some people develop chronic PTSD.
-
Gene activity in the habenula of people with opioid addiction and depression
This work looks at which genes are active in a small brain region called the habenula to learn how it differs in people with opioid addiction, major depression, or both.
-
How pigment and tau build-up in the brain's locus coeruleus change nearby gene activity
Researchers will map how pigment (neuromelanin) and tau protein build-up in a tiny brain center linked to Alzheimer's alter local gene activity in brain tissue from people with and without Alzheimer's.
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.