Research Interests
The Kirby Lab studies how stress and the hormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) affect the brain's serotonin system, a key player in anxiety, depression, and drug relapse. Stress can trigger relapse in individuals recovering from substance use disorders, and the lab investigates how stress-induced disruption of serotonin may lead to negative moods that drive drug use as "self-medication. The team has found that the combined effects of stress and opioids alter serotonin neural circuits, affecting serotonin function and leading to mood disturbances and drug-seeking behavior. Current research focuses on serotonin's role in alcohol and opioid use, and the lab employs sophisticated methods to measure emotional states linked to drug-seeking behavior. They also investigate cannabinoids and immune molecules in the brain.
Education, Training & Credentials
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA
- PhD, Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 1997
- BA, Psychobiology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA