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Dr. Andrew Chapp, Assistant Professor

Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota

Abstract:

Biological sex is increasingly recognized as a critical variable in neuropharmacology, yet its role in drug sensitivity remains incompletely understood. Our laboratory investigates how cocaine exposure alters behavior and nucleus accumbens neuroplasticity, with explicit consideration of biological sex and circulating gonadal hormones. We find robust sex differences in both cocaine-related behavior and cocaine-induced neuroplastic changes, many of which are strongly modulated by hormonal state. Incorporating sex as a biological variable reveals previously unappreciated mechanisms of cocaine action and reshapes our understanding of the neurobiological basis of stimulant addiction.

Biography:

Dr. Chapp is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. His research program aims to understand how drugs of abuse alter neurophysiology in the brain to drive maladaptive drug-induced behavior with the goal of finding intervention strategies to reduce drug relapse. He received his Ph.D. (Biology) and M.S. (Chemistry) from Michigan Tech and his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Computer Science from St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY. He completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities prior to being promoted to assistant professor.