Award
National Institute on Drug Abuse 5F32DA062455-02
Investigating the role of dorsal raphe nucleus enkephalin neurons in motivational and affective behaviors during chronic pain
Recipient
Washington University
Award Amount
$82,348.00
Ceiling
$82,348.00
Awarded
February 09, 2026
Identifier
5F32DA062455-02
Research project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to study the role of endogenous opioids in the dorsal raphe nucleus affecting motivational and affective behaviors during chronic pain, using advanced neurobiological techniques.
Description
This project aims to leverage next-generation, opioid-specific technologies to determine the biological and computational function of endogenous opioids within the dorsal raphe nucleus in regulating chronic pain-induced dysregulation of motivated behaviors. The research will investigate how opioid peptides within the dorsal raphe nucleus influence pain and motivated behaviors, using techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 disruption, dual-color 1-photon endoscopic imaging, and DREADDs, to provide insights into chronic pain pathophysiology and identify potential neurochemical targets for therapeutic intervention.