GELIFES Seminars - Todd Thiele

Todd Thiele (University of North Carolina)

Ascending norepinephrine neurocircuitry modulates binge-like alcohol intake

The aversive properties of alcohol

Research aimed at the neurobiology of alcohol use disorders has focused considerable attention on the reinforcing effects of alcohol and how these effects motivate binge-like alcohol intake. Interestingly, there is accumulating evidence that alcohol also entails aversive effects and that these effects, because they are clearly dose-related, can act as a deterrent to overconsumption. Dr. Thiele will present research from his laboratory designed to unpack the neurocircuitry underlying the aversive effects of alcohol and how these circuits modulate binge-like alcohol intake in mouse models. They found that binge-like alcohol drinking increases the activity of neurons in the A2 (caudal nucleus of the solitary tract; NTS) and A6 (locus coeruleus; LC) brainstem regions, two of the primary sources of norepinephrine (NE) that send afferent projections to numerous brain structures that modulate motivated behavior. Dr. Thiele and colleagues have shown that activating circuits arising from these NE+ brainstem regions and innervating the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), the lateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN), or the ventral tegmental area (VTA) protect against binge-like alcohol intake and produce unconditioned aversive responses. Dr. Thiele will present these and other observations which provide new insights into the neurocircuitry that modulate aversive responses and binge-like alcohol intake.

Biosketch:
Todd E. Thiele, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Behavioral & Integrative Neuroscience Program within the department of Psychology & Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill (USA), joining the Department in 2001. He is also affiliated with the UNC Neuroscience Center and the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies. He earned his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1989, followed by a Ph.D. in Psychology from Kansas State University in 1995. Dr. Thiele completed postdoctoral training and served as a Research Scientist at the University of Washington from 1995 to 2001, where he began his pioneering work on the neurobiology of addiction. His research focuses on the neurocircuitry underlying alcohol use disorders, with an emphasis on neuropeptide systems such as neuropeptide Y and corticotropin-releasing factor, and the norepinephrine system. He has published over 120 peer-reviewed publications and has had continuous National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for over 25 years. He is also a dedicated mentor and educator, having supervised numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and has contributed extensively to the field through editorial service, NIH study sections, and national conference leadership.