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 | Biography |  |
Molecular basis of alcohol dependence. We are interested in the molecular changes that take place in the brain following chronic alcohol exposure that give rise to dependence. We have found that these changes include modification of neuroreceptors, selective activation of transcription factors and expression of target genes. We are using several methods to isolate and characterise alcohol-responsive genes. We were able to isolate a novel gene from the human brain and are using molecular and cell biology techniques to discover the mode of action of the protein product. This research has importance not only for alcohol dependence but also addiction to other drugs.
Our other major interest is in the actions of alcohol on the developing brain resulting in the foetal alcohol syndrome, the leading known cause of mental retardation. We have shown that alcohol disrupts a critical event in the formation of the synapses at an early stage of brain development. We are now investigating how this occurs and how this disruption results in loss of brain cells. We are also searching for ways to prevent and reverse the brain damage.
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