The Kenny Laboratory is focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of drug addiction, obesity and schizophrenia, with an emphasis on the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in these processes. We employ a multidisciplinary approach that includes complex behavioral paradigms, physiological and molecular biological techniques, and computational analysis of volume imaging (light-sheet) and single-cell sequencing. Current projects include the utilization of vector-based delivery systems to modify gene expression in the brains of rodents to identify novel signaling cascades that may play a role in addiction-like behaviors.

Our research is focused on understanding the molecular neurobiology of drug addiction and obesity, with an emphasis on developing novel therapeutics for these disorders. We take a multidisciplinary approach that includes mouse behavioral genetics, viral-mediated gene transfer, protein and RNA biology, and we combine these techniques with complex behavioral procedures to better understand the mechanics of addiction and obesity. Current projects include understanding the role of noncoding RNAs and other epigenetic machineries in addiction, identifying the nicotinic receptor subunits that regulate tobacco dependence, investigating the role of brain reward pathways in obesity, and developing small molecule therapeutics for addiction. In these projects, we use high-throughput techniques such as single-cell RNA-sequencing, and brain clearing combined with volume-imaging using light sheet microscopy. We also use novel techniques for measuring Ca2+ transients in the brain as a proxy of neuronal activity (fiber photometry & miniscope imaging). The repostories here are primarily dedicated to computational analysis of these types of imaging and sequencing data.